My Dad is Santa Claus
by TheOriginalSnapespeare
Summary: Scott Calvin is Santa Claus. No matter how much he would like to deny it. Charlie knows his Dad is Santa, and he'll do anything he can to prove it! join Scott and his two kids. (Jessie & Charlie) as he goes through the Santification Process! (Story will cover events from all 3 movies) [Bernard/OC]
1. Chapter 1

Forty-one year old Scott Calvin tightly gripped his car's steering wheel as he backed out of his parking spot at B&R Toys. He and his marketing partner, Susan, _had_ to show up to the company Christmas party because they were being honored for their successful ad campaign of the _Do-It-All-For-You-Dolly._ But the party had caused Scott to run late for his Christmas Eve plans.

The Calvin clan was scattered all over the place now a days. Scott and his ex-wife Laura had two kids together. Jessica, was the oldest at sixteen. Jessie got along with her dad best and always took his side during arguments. She was short for her age, only four feet, ten inches tall. She had her dad's straight brown hair, but her mother's deep green eyes. Charlie, the youngest, was only eight years old and he had long ago passed that age where his dad was his only hero. Charlie lived with his mother and her husband, Neil. Neil was a psychiatrist and he was always psychoanalyzing Scott and his kids. But for whatever reason Charlie idolized him. It killed Scott that his son liked that creep better. Though He knew he really only had himself to blame. After all Scott had agreed to the current custody arrangement where Charlie lived with his mother and Jessie stayed with her father. The kids spent alternating holidays with their parents, and this year it was Scott's turn to have both kids. Speeding down the highway, Scott pulled out his phone and called his ex-wife.

"Laura?" He questioned the answering machine. "I was hoping to catch you before you'd left your house. I ran real late today. You wouldn't believe the traffic out here!" At that moment some lady swerved in front of him from out of nowhere. She passed Scott, but not before holding up her middle finger to him. "Yeah, same to you! And that's not very ladylike!" He shouted, still on the phone with Laura's answering machine. "Anyway, I'll try to get to my house as soon as I can...Oh there's the problem right there! Three car pile-up! I'm really going to be late."

With a proper excuse on Laura's answering machine, Scott hung up. He was just about to pocket his phone when it began to ring. Looking at the caller I.D. he saw that it was Jessie calling.

"Hey, Princess I know I'm running late..." He began to apologize.

"Oh you're going to be late too?" Jessie laughed from the other end of the phone. _Too? Like father like Daughter._ Scott thought to himself as Jess continued. "Mom's going to be twice as pissed..."

"Hey don't swear, you're a young lady!" Scott interrupted her.

"Whatever," Jess rolled her eyes at his 'I'm your father' tone. "Listen, Brian and I won't be able to make it back for Christmas Eve and we might not be back for Christmas Day either." Brian was Jessie's eighteen year old boyfriend. Together the two kids had gone up Maine to celebrate the holidays with Brian's family.

"What?" Scott questioned the receiver. "No! That wasn't part of the deal! I only agreed to let you go with Brian because you promised me that you'd be home in time to spend Christmas Eve with me and Charlie!"

"Well I'm sorry Daddy," Jess apologized. "But the roads are too icy tonight. Brian's mom said they might be travelable tomorrow."

"Well, do you need me to come get you?" Scott suggested.

"Dad please, I don't think your car could make it all the way here!" Jess laughed. "No I'll be fine up here for another night or two. Please enjoy your time with Charlie. You hardly see him anymore."

"Well if you're sure. We're going to miss you Princess."

"I know Dad. Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas." Scott sighed before hanging up the phone.

* * *

><p>Charlie was sitting in the back of his stepfather's car with his head resting on his hands. His little eyes carefully watched every vehicle that passed. At long last Scott's car pulled into the driveway.<p>

"Alright, let's go." Laura instructed her son with a sigh. She'd grown use to being disappointed by Scott.

"Bye Charlie!" Neil called as the boy climbed out of the car.

"Bye Neil!" Charlie replied before following his mother up the walkway.

"Oh, Sorry I'm late!" Scott called as he scrambled to the front door. "HI!" He greeted Laura.

"Where's Jess?" She asked immediately.

"Apparently she's still in Maine with Brian and his family." Scott snarled.

"Oh. I'm sorry to hear that." Laura was actually sorry to hear that her daughter wouldn't be home for Christmas Eve. She knew how much Scott liked to have his whole family together.

"Do you want to come in for a minute?"

"Neil's waiting in the car," Laura gestured to her husband's vehicle. "So..."

"Well, why doesn't he come in?" Scott invited.

"Cause Dad," Charlie butted in. "he says you'll just end up saying something snotty."

"Not necessarily." Scott looked away from Laura and Charlie to wave at Neil. "Could be rude, or sarcastic. Whatever it takes!"

"See." Laura sighed as Scott proved her husband's point. "I gotta go. Here." She handed Charlie's overnight bag to Scott and tried to walk back towards her car.

"It's Christmas Eve." Scott begged. "Just for a minute?" Laura sent an apologetic face to Neil in the car before reluctantly following Scott and her son into the house. Charlie immediately ran into the living room, leaving his parents alone in the entry way.

"So are you going to your mother's for Christmas?" Scott asked his ex-wife.

"We're going to visit Neil's family actually." She explained.

"Oh, Christmas at the pound." Scott laughed.

"I'm really sorry Jess is not going to be here." Laura apologized again.

"It's alright, Charlie and I are going to have a great Christmas Eve, right Sport?" He asked his son, who'd just joined his parents in the entryway.

"There aren't that many presents over there." Charlie complained about the pile of presents under the tree.

"Well, that's because Santa isn't here yet." His father said before turning back to Laura.

"Neil doesn't believe in Santa." Charlie said.

"Well, Neil's head comes to a point." Scott smiled at his own jab.

"He's smart!" Charlie countered. "He's a doctor!"

"He's not a doctor," His father disagreed. "He's a psychiatrist. Look, why don't you take your coat off? You're sticking around aren't ya?" Charlie went back to the living room and shrugged off his coat. Scott turned his attention to Laura once again. "Did that jerk tell Charlie there was no Santa Claus?"

"What?" Laura said. "No, oh, Charlie came home from school the other day in tears because some big kid told him there was no such thing as Santa. And, you know Neil...Well he sat Charlie down and..."

"He told him that there _was _a Santa Claus?" Scott said hopefully.

"Well...all he said was that Santa was more like a feeling. You know, more like a state of mind than a person."

"Kind of like Neil!" The ex-husband snarled. "And who gave you permission to tell our son there's no Santa Claus? I think if we're gonna destroy our kid's illusions, I should be a part of it!"

"It's not my fault you never broached the subject with Jessica!" Laura hissed. "Besides, you're never around for Charlie, Scott!"

"Oh, oh please!" Scott rolled his eyes.

"Listen," His ex-wife sighed, "all we are trying to do is give Charlie a firm grasp on reality."

"That's a good idea!" Scott said sarcastically. "You don't want kids running around using their imaginations!"

"Oh, yeah." Laura nodded. "This from the guy responsible for the _Do-It-All-For-You-Dolly!_ Don't burp me...don't you change me..." She mocked the toy.

"Why do you always have to fight?" Charlie demanded, looking up at his parents sadly.

"I, uh, swear we're not fighting!" Scott insisted. "It's your mom's singing."

"It sounds a lot like fighting." Charlie continued to frown.

"The trouble is, Neil and your mom, they don't believe in Santa because they were real naughty." His father explained. "Which is why they'll probably get lumps of coal in their stockings."

"I don't know." Charlie disagreed. "It seems kind of babyish to believe in that kind of stuff..."

"What are you talking about?" Scott laughed. "I believe in Santa Claus! I'm not a baby!"

"Well..." Laura countered.

"Maybe it's time you left?" He suggested. "We don't want to keep Dr. Pinhead waiting."

Scott left the entry hall so Charlie could give his mother a proper good-bye. Laura hugged her son and her clung to her.

"Do I gotta stay?" He questioned her helplessly.

"Listen, you and your daddy are gonna have a great Christmas, okay?"

"Will you pick me up tomorrow?" Charlie begged.

"Of course." Laura promised.

"We're talking sunup, you're here?"

"You'll be fine." Laura wrapped her arms around Charlie. "Merry Christmas Charlie." Laura kissed her son on the forehead. "I love you."

"Love you too, mom." Charlie said sadly. Laura gave a fleeting glance to her son before joining Neil in the car.


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning, Scott was asleep in his bedroom when Charlie came racing in.

"Dad! Dad! Wake up Sleepy!" Charlie jumped on the bed and tried shaking his father awake. "Come on get up! Dad! DAD! Come on Dad!" The little boy sighed. "You should see all the neat toys!" Scott gained consciousness to find his son violently shaking him.

"Stop shakin' me Charlie!" He begged.

"Okay!" Charlie agreed before jumping off his dad's chest. "Come on, It's Christmas morning!"

"Great, go make same coffee." his dad mumbled before rolling over.

"Come on Dad!" Charlie insisted.

"Okay, okay." Scott grudgingly climbed out of bed. He was still waking up as Charlie dragged him down the stairs. Scott had the weirdest dream the previous night about a mall Santa falling off his roof and then he himself accidentally became _the_ Santa Claus. There was a grumpy elf named Barnaby and sweet Elf named Judy who made him some hot chocolate. The whole bizarre event was most likely induced by some bad food at the Denny's he'd taken Charlie too.

Scott scratched his stomach and felt an unfamiliar smooth fabric beneath his fingers. _Silk?_ He glanced down at his pajama shirt and was greeted by its bright red appearance. The letters 's' and 'c' were monogrammed on the shirt's pocket. These where the same pajamas one of the elves had given him in his fever dream the night before. Charlie, raced down stairs and started tearing open his gifts. His dad, who was now breathing heavily, flung himself into the closest chair.

"Are you okay dad?" His son asked him, noticing Scott's odd behavior for the first time.

" Yeah." Scott panted. "Just fine."

"Are you having a heart attack?" Charlie jumped to his feet. "I know CPR."

"No...I was just...SC..." his dad mumbled.

"Yeah, Santa Claus." Charlie shrugged. He assumed his dad would remember their adventure to the North Pole last night. "Hey, same initials as your name dad. Scott Calvin." The boy pointed to each letter in turn with sudden recognition.

"What?" Scott didn't understand how Charlie could've known about his dream. His attention was drawn away from the subject when the front doorbell rang. Assuming it was his mother, Charlie ran to answer the door. He was incredibly surprised when he swung the door open and found his sister standing there.

"Jess!"

"Hey Charlie! Oh I missed you so much!" Jess bent down and wrapped her arms around her little brother.

"What are you doing here?" Charlie smiled. "Dad told mom you wouldn't be home for Christmas"

"I wasn't supposed to be. Brian couldn't drive in the ice last night, but the streets cleared up enough this morning. He just dropped me off."His sister explained.

"Charlie?" Scott called from the living room. "Charlie, who are you talking to? Is your mother here already?" Jess threw her bags on the floor of the entry way and closed the front door behind her.

"Dad it's me, Jessie!" She hollered back to the living room. "I'm home!"

"Jessie?" Scott stepped out into the hall to welcome his daughter home. "I thought you said you couldn't make it back for Christmas."

"The roads thawed out enough for Brian to drive back." She explained again. "I'm sorry I could be here for Christmas Eve."

"Oh don't worry about it." Scott wrapped his arms around his daughter. "We didn't do much, did we Sport?" He looked down at Charlie.

"Are you kidding me?" Charlie laughed. "We went to the North Pole! Dad became Santa Claus!" Jess assumed this was part of some game Charlie and her dad played the night before.

"Oh did you buddy?" Jessie laughed, ruffling her little brother's hair. "Dad, uh...nice pajamas."

"Oh they're not mine." Her dad mumbled. "So, Brian didn't come in and say hello?"

"No, he had to drop his brother off at his girlfriend's house."Jess said as the doorbell dinged again. "I'll get it, it's probably mom. She doesn't know I'm here." Laura was incredibly surprised find her daughter answering the door to Scott's house.

"Jess! What a surprise! I thought you couldn't come home for Christmas?" She accused.

"I just got home." Jessie promised. She then went on to repeat her story for a third time.

"Oh Merry Christmas, honey!" Laura hugged her daughter.

"MOM!" Charlie yelled. He ran down the hall and hugged his mom as well. "Hey Charlie! Did you have a good time?"

"Great time!" Charlie promised. "The best!"

"That's great." Laura smiled. Scott walked down the hall to politely greet his ex-wife. "Oh, Scott." She scoffed. "Nice Pjs. Very festive. Where'd you get them?"

"I don't know." Scott shrugged earnestly.

"Judy gave them to you." Charlie reminded his dad.

"Judy?" Laura and Jess repeated together.

"Who?" Scott looked down at Charlie, ignoring his ex and daughter.

"Up in the North Pole!" Charlie said impatiently.

"Ah, one of Santa's little helpers." Laura nodded.

"Gross, Dad." Jessie said with disgust.

"Last night Dad and me went with the flying reindeer. It was really neat Mom! Dad was Santa and Larry showed me the workshop, you know where they make all the toys?" While Charlie recounted the previous night for his mother and sister, he gathered his stuff that was scattered around the living room.

"Gee thanks for keeping his feet on the ground." Laura whispered to Scott when Charlie was out of earshot.

"You bet." Scott said sarcastically.

"Honey, why don't you go wait in the car for a minute okay?" Laura suggested to her son.

"C'mon Charlie, I'll walk you out there." Jessie held out her hand for her little brother. The two of them walked outside together.

"So, uh, what have you been telling him?" Laura interrogated her ex-husband.

"Nothing." Scott promised. "It's just...I had this really strange dream. and I-I must have told him all about it...Wait!" He followed after Jessie and Charlie. To his dismay Neil was also there.

"Nice Jammies." The psychiatrist quipped.

"Thanks." Scott shot back. "Hey Charlie, about what you said in the house, who showed you the workshop?"

"The elf." Charlie replied plainly.

"How'd I get the pajamas?"

"I told you, Judy!" Charlie rolled his eyes.

"Oh wait!" Scott said with sudden realization. "Wait! Judy was the name of the waitress at the restaurant last night."

"Daddy, you took pyjamas from a waitress?" Jessie asked with a judgmental face.

"What's this all about?" Neil inserted himself into the conversation.

"Dad took me to the North Pole!" Charlie was getting tiered of repeating himself. "And Larry showed me the workshop."

"The North Pole?" Neil laughed. At this point Laura had joined the rest of the family outside.

"Yeah!" Charlie insisted. "Dad's the new Santa. The regular Santa fell off the roof and Dad put on the suit."

"Charlie, we'll...discuss this at home." Neil said cryptically. "Are you coming with us Jessie?"

"Neil, I don't you I don't like being called Jessie." Jess sighed. "And thanks, but I really just want to hang out with Dad for a bit. Maybe I'll stop by later if that's okay?"

"That's fine." Laura nodded. "Call us if you need anything." She kissed her daughter on the cheek before getting in the car. Scott and Jess said their goodbyes to Charlie, and the car sped away.

"Dad are you sure you're alright?" Jess asked her dad when they were alone in the house.

"What? Me? Yeah, I'm fine." Her father insisted. "It was just a dream! Stuff like that doesn't happen. I don't even wear pajamas! Normally I sleep naked! Buck naked!"

"Okay, TMI Dad." Jess' eyes widened.

"What does that mean? TMI? And since when do you not like being called Jessie?"

"Since Neil thought it was okay for him to call me anything other than Jessica." She shrugged. "Only you're allowed to call me Jessie. And TMI? It' means too much information."

"So how was Christmas Eve with Brian?" Scott asked his daughter.

"Not nearly as fun as Christmas Eve with you!" She laughed. "Brian's mom didn't burn the turkey, so we didn't end up at a Chinese buffet like last Christmas..."

"Hey that was two years ago!" Scott feigned offense.

"Either way, it wasn't the same without you." Jess sighed.

"That's my girl!" Her father beamed. "Well, c'mon, let's open your presents!"


	3. Chapter 3

Charlie returned to school much earlier than his sister, only two days after Christmas. The first day after the holiday break, Neil, Laura and Scott were all invited to Charlie's elementary school for Career Day.

"Can I ask Dad to go first?" Charlie asked Neil.

"Well, if that's how you feel, Charlie." Neil nodded.

"That's how he feels Neil!" Scott grinned. He was thrilled to be picked before Neil for the first time in a long time. "Nice sweater buddy!" The toy maker added before standing in front of the class.

"This is my dad, Scott Calvin." Charlie introduced his dad to the class. "He's got a really neat job!" he paused dramatically. "My dad is Santa Claus!"

"Oh boy." Scott mumbled as the other kids in the class began to laugh at Charlie. "I think, what he means is I'm _like_ Santa Claus." He clarified. "We're both giving, we're both jolly and we both work very hard one day a year." Scott chuckled uncomfortably.

"That not what I mean, Dad!" Charlie argued. "Look, On Christmas Eve, my dad pushed Santa off the roof."

"No Charlie...Ch-Charlie..." Scott tried to stop his son, but it was futile. He could already feel Neil's psychoanalytical gaze from across the room. All three adults and Jessie had already explained to Charlie that what he thought had happened at the "North pole" was just a story that Scott had told him. He wasn't actually Santa Claus. Despite everyone's insisting, Charlie continued to believe the story and he was taking it too far by bringing it into his classroom.

"Santa disappeared and my dad took his place."

"Charlie!" Scott tried to interrupt him again.

Then I went with him to deliver all the presents. Then the reindeer flew us to the North Pole where the head elf, Bernard, gave me this!" From behind Charlie's back he produced the snow globe that Bernard had given him at the North Pole.

"Look, I work for a toy company." Scott seized his opportunity when Charlie finally stopped talking. "I Deliver toys all over the country. So in a way, I'm _like_ Santa Claus." A girl at the front of the class raised her hand. "Yes, sweetheart?" Scott asked her.

"Do you make the toys?" the girl questioned.

"No, stupid the elves do!" A boy shouted from across the room.

"Bobby, we don't say 'stupid'." The teacher corrected him. "And we don't say 'elves'. They're little people."

"No! But they really are elves!" Charlie promised.

"Which one's your favorite reindeer?" The boy named Bobby prodded.

"Comet." Charlie answered for his dad.

"Oh, uh, I-I don't have a favorite." Scott mumbled, wiping sweat from his brow.

"You mean when I grow up, if I wanna be Santa Claus," Bobby questioned, "all I gotta do is push you off a roof?"

* * *

><p>"Alright he said that. He said that it was the best Christmas he ever had?" Scott asked Neil and Laura as the three of them were escorted to the principal's office.<p>

"Oh big surprise! What do you think?" Laura quipped.

"It's just nice to hear it from him!" Scott said. "Is that a problem with you?"

"All right." The principal said, getting everyone's attention. "So?"

"May I speak, please?" Neil piped up. "I am a doctor."

"No he's not!" Scott cut in. "He's a psychiatrist!"

"Please go ahead_, Dr_. Miller." The principal ignored Scott's outburst.

"I guess we know who's the teacher's pet." Scott mumbled.

"Scott! Grow up!" Laura hissed.

"The reason we're here," The principal said with a pointed look at Scott. "Is that this is far more serious, than a boy believing or not believing in Santa Claus."

"That's right." Laura agreed. "Because Charlie thinks that this whole thing actually happened!"

"Scott what was the last thing you and Charlie did before you went to bed on Christmas Eve?" Neil asked in what Scott referred to as his 'I'm a Doctor' voice.

"We shared a bowl of sugar." Scott replied thoughtfully. "Did some shots of brown liquor, played with my shotguns, field dressed a cat, looked for women." He concluded sarcastically. "I read him a book!"

"What book?" Neil implored.

"That Hollywood Wives." Scott replied. His voice still dripping with sarcasm. "_The Night Before Christmas_, folks!"

"And _did_ you go to the North Pole?" Neil pried.

"T-this is ridiculous!" Scott jumped to his feet. "I don't have time for this."

"Ridiculous or not Scott, for Charlie, this isn't some dream." The Principal said seriously. "It is real, you need to sit down with Charlie and explain to him that you are not Santa Claus."

* * *

><p>After his heavy handed meeting with "Doctor" Neil, Laura and Charlie's principal Scott decided to just call it a day. He flung open the front door, not bothering to stop it from banging against the nearby wall.<p>

"Daddy?" Jessie, who was still at home on vacation, called down the stairs. She been taken by surprise when he arrived home mid-day and slammed the door open. "Hey, are you okay?" She asked as her small figure could be seen running down the stairs.

"Yeah Jessie, sweetie, I'm fine." Scott quietly closed the front door behind him.

"How did Career Day go with Charlie?" Jess was almost afraid to ask.

"He told his entire class that I, am Santa Claus." Scott sighed.

"Oh. I thought he'd be over that by now." Jessie frowned.

"Apparently not." Scott sighed. "His principal says I need to talk to him, but Charlie's only eight! I don't want to ruin his illusions about Santa just yet."

"Well maybe you don't have to, let me try and talk to him." His daughter suggested.

"Really?" Scott said. "Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"It can't hurt." Jess shrugged.

* * *

><p>Scott allowed Jessie to borrow his car for the night so that she could take her little brother out. All she needed to do what get permission from her mom now.<p>

"I don't know Jess." Laura frowned when she explained her plan.

"Charlie had a pretty traumatic day today. More excitement could further damage his psyche." Neil interject. _No one asked you Neil_. Jess did her best not to roll her eyes at her stepfather.

"I'm only on break from school for a few more days and I haven't really had much time to hang out with Charlie." Jess frowned. "All I want to do is take him to the arcade and maybe get this Santa Claus idea out of his mind."

"I want to go to the arcade with Jessie!" Charlie insisted. He'd been eavesdropping on his family's conversation since he saw His Dad's car pull up.

All right." Laura agreed at last. " but have him home by nine!"

"We will be!" Her daughter promised.

Jess brought Charlie to an arcade that they used to go to all the time before she started high school. Using money her dad have given her, she bought a bucket of tokens and played a few games with Charlie. Eventually they made their way over to one of Jess' favorite games; Skeeball.

"You know," Charlie said, picking up one of the balls. "The Elves say this is the same size as the perfect snowball." He smiled before sliding the skeeball up the ramp towards the goal cups.

"Yeah, I've been wanting to talk to you about that buddy." Jessie said before shooting her own ball of the ramp.

"I already know." Charlie sighed. "Dad's in denial."

"Denial?" Jess repeated. "You're eight! How do you even know what that word means?"

"I learned it from Neil." her little brother shrugged. "It's when something is true, but you think it's untrue."

"How do you know it's true, Charlie?"

"Just because you can't prove something, doesn't mean it isn't real!" Charlie argued. Jessie was trying to put things delicately because her dad had said he didn't want Charlie's beliefs crushed.

"Okay, Char, Listen to me buddy." Jess said very seriously. She placed one hand on each of his shoulders and looked him in the eyes. "I don't think it's a good idea for you to tell everyone about the North Pole."

"Why not?" Her little brother frowned.

"Well, sometimes we think we should tell people stuff because it seems like it's the right thing to do." She began. "But other stuff, is better if we don't share it."

"You want me to lie about Dad being Santa?" Charlie asked.

"No, not lie." His sister shook her head. "More like keep it a secret between me, Dad and you."

"How come?"

"Because of Mom and Neil." Jess sighed. "Not just because of them. There's your school...you don't want the other kids at school to be jealous do you? Because we're the only ones who get to have Santa as a Dad...and it might make the other kids jealous that they just have regular parents."

"Oh." Charlie nodded. "Okay, I'll keep it a secret!" He promised.

"Thanks Char." Jess smiled. "Now let's go play some games!"


	4. Chapter 4

Not long after the Christmas and New Year's holidays had passed, Scott woke up feeling unusually boated. Not thinking much of it, he shuffled his feet into the bathroom to begin his morning routine.

AHHH!" He caught sight of himself in the bathroom mirror and hollered with surprise. Scott had seemingly grown a beard and put on a significant amount of weight overnight. "Something's wrong with the mirror." He concluded.

"Dad?" Jess groaned sleepily from her room. Her father's shouting had woken her from a dead sleep. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, everything is fine Princess!" Scott rushed to assure her. "Just ah, go back to sleep, it's pretty early." Checking the clock by her bed, Jessie realized her dad was right, so she rolled over and went back to sleep. With the bathroom door locked securely, Scott jumped on his home scale to weigh himself. Immediately the LED lights flashed 192 before climbing up another pound. The numbers continued to climb, so Scott jumped off the scale. "Something's wrong with the scale!" He insisted. Back in his bedroom Scott rifled through his drawers. The only thing he owned that would fit him were a pair of sweatpants and a sweatshirt. It would have to do. Sighing, Scott dressed himself and drove to work.

* * *

><p>After people at work noticed his strange appearance during a presentation for B&amp;R's new toy <em>Total Tank<em>, Scott decided to head straight to his doctor's office.

"Well, I-I don't know Scott." His Doctor said looking over the test results he'd just taken. "You're as healthy as a horse."

"Yeah, a Clydesdale." Scott remarked, gesturing to his inexplicably large stomach.

"Okay look. So what? You put on a little weight." The Doctor shrugged him off.

"A little weight?" Scott repeated in a panic. "Does this look like a little weight to you?"

"Well, weight can fluctuate from year to year." The Doctor concluded.

"Fluctuate?! You make it sound like I'm retaining Water!" Scott hissed. "I've gained 45 pounds in a week! Pete, what's happen' to me?"

"Well, that's your diet like?"

"Milk and Cookies." Scott mumbled.

"Really?"

"But I don't finish all the milk!" He added in.

"Well then, there's your problem!" The Pete sighed. "Just try to cut back on the sweets okay. Anything else?"

"Yeah. How fast does hair grow? Facial hair?" Scott questioned. "I shaved this morning and now I look like this!" He gestured to his fully grown in beard.

"Well it could be a hormonal imbalance."

"That would explain the mood swings." Scott mumbled.

"Yeah, well look at my hair! It's turning grey!"

"Oh it's middle age buddy!" His Doctor laughed. "It happens. And with that body, you should be thankful you have hair. Look if it bothers you, you can dye it. And you _should_ diet!" He joked. "Ah, Just kidding."

* * *

><p>Scott was relieved to find Jessie wasn't home when he got there. The last thing he wanted was to have to explain his weight gain to his daughter who saw him every day. Though he knew the situation was unavoidable, and he'd have to talked to Jess eventually, it was nice to know he could put it off for a few more hours.<p>

"Dad?" Jess's voice echoed through the house when she returned from her night out with her boyfriend. Brian was standing in the entry way with her, when Scott came down the stairs.

"Oh my god Dad!" Jess gasped. "Are you wearing sweatpants?" She couldn't remember the last time she'd seen her businessman father in a sweat suit.

"Mr. C, rocking the relax fit, sweet!" Brian nodded with approval.

"Hey, um, Brian...I'll see you at school tomorrow okay?" Jess made a face at her boyfriend, suggesting he should leave.

"Okay yeah. See you tomorrow." Brian kissed her goodbye and left the house.

"Daddy, what's going on?"

"I...nothing really." Scott shrugged. "It's just...my sweatpants were the only thing that fit this morning. All that fast food we've been eating, I guess it went straight to my gut." He laughed jiggling his stomach. "And the beard and grey hair? Turns out I'm middle aged so..." He walked into the kitchen and started making a pot of coffee.

"Is that what this is about?" Jess asked, following him into the kitchen. "Are you having a mid-life crisis? or this about the Santa Claus thing? Because Charlie hasn't mentioned it since I talked to..."

"What?" Scott turned away from the coffee maker. "No, I'm not having a mid-life crisis!"

"I'm just saying dad," Jessie held her hands up objectively. "If Neil was here, he'd be having a field day."

"Hey!" Scott shouted as his daughter walked away. "I thought we agreed not to mention that name in this house!"

* * *

><p>Months passed, and despite dieting and rigorous exercise Scott continued to put on weight. Things weren't much better in the facial hair department either. He had to shave his face three times a day to remain clean-shaven. Eventually he'd given up the fantasy of shaving all together. Things really came to a head that Spring. Charlie had a big soccer game against his school's rival team. Neil and Laura had invited Jess and Scott to come along. Scott gleefully accepted since it would be the first time he'd seen his son in awhile.<p>

The father daughter duo arrived at the park before Neal and Laura so that sat at a nearby bench to watch Charlie play. After a few minutes Jess left to get a snack from the concession stand. Within seconds a little blonde girl replaced Jess at Scott's side. She tapped Santa on the shoulder, waiting for him to look at her.

"What?" Scott snarled.

"I want some ballet slippers." The girl said as she climbed in Scott's lap.

While waiting in line at the concession stand, Jess spotted her mother and Neil had arrived in the parking lot. Deciding it would be best to warn them about her father's appearance, Jess left the line to meet her Laura and her husband.

"Mom, Neil, I thought you should know that dad looks a little different." She explained. "He's put on some weight and..."

"And he has a line of kids waiting to sit on his lap!" Laura remarked with a look of horror.

"What, no..." Jess looked over her shoulder to see her dad seated at the same bench she'd left him at, but just like her mother said there was a line of kids standing in front of him. Scott jumped to his feet when spotted his ex-wife's disapproving look. Neil, Laura and Jess approached the would-be Santa with varying degrees of shock on their face.

"Hi, hey...this probably looks pretty odd, doesn't it?" Scott chuckled. "These kids lined up all by themselves!"

"Scott, I think it's safe to say you're taking this Santa think to an unhealthy level." Neil marveled. "Here's my card. Call me." He forced his business card into the other man's hand.

"Scott, I really have to tell you that this is beginning to scare me." Laura said seriously. "I never in my wildest, well, no, okay, maybe my wildest...but certainly never in my normal dreams would I...But then this _is_ Scott we're talking about and..." Scott looked to his daughter for help, but even she was having trouble coming to his defense this time. "It's just I never thought you would stoop to changing your physical appearance in order to make Charlie like you! Do you have any concept of how dangerous this is to a little boy?"

"Whoa, whoa, how dangerous?" Scott jumped in.

"Mom, what's the matter?" Charlie asked, running over from the field.

"Come on Charlie, we're going home." Laura said, grabbing her son by the arm.

"But we just started!" Charlie whined. His mother ignored his pleas and dragged him to the car. "Jessica, maybe you should come with us to." Jessie stood between her mother and father, not sure what to do.

"Oh no come on!" Scott called after Laura. "You guys stay, I'll go."

"If you don't get your act together Scott, so help me!" Laura threaten as Charlie climbed in the car.

"C'mon Jessie." Neil said as he draped a comforting arm around his stepdaughter's shoulders.

"I told you it's just Jess or Jessica." She groaned, shrugging his arm off. "I'll go with them just too see if I can calm Mom down." She told Scott before kissing him on the cheek. "I'll call you later Daddy."


	5. Chapter 5

After being forced to leave his soccer game early, Charlie locked himself in his room for the night. Sitting in their kitchen, drinking coffee, Neil and Laura were whispering about what to do. Jess hated when they did that. She hated when any adult did it. In her experience, adults only whispered when they had something negative to talk about. Her mother and father were in the Kitchen whispering the night they decided to get a divorce. Jess had been visiting the Thanksgiving that Neil and her mother decided to get married, they were whispering then too. Nothing good ever came from two adults whispering. She entered the kitchen and cleared her throat loudly in an attempt to gain their attention. Neil and Laura looked over at her like two kids with their hands stuck in the cookie jar.

"Are you guys talking about Dad?" She asked, pouring herself a cup of coffee. Jess didn't even drink coffee, but she felt that if she was going to join the adult discussion, she might as well have the necessary props. Taking a cautious sip of the bitter liquid, she waited for someone to answer her.

"Yes, we were." Laura admitted cautiously, she knew how sensitive her daughter was when it came to Scott.

"I think he's just having a mid-life crisis." Jess supplied. She assumed saying something like that might put her stepfather in full 'I'm a doctor' mode.

"Mid-life crisis?" Neil repeated. "While that is possible Jessica, I don't think that's what is happening here. I think it's more likely that last Christmas, Charlie and Scott made a connection through this illusion your father created. Since it's the first time they've connected in a long time, both of them have clung to this Santa Claus thing as a way of coping. I think they both fear that by letting go of the Santa Claus story, they'll be letting go of each other."

"Jess, how old were you when your father talked to you about Santa Claus?" Laura asked suddenly.

"He never had to." Her daughter chuckled ironically. "Mom, I was ten when you and Dad got divorced. That Christmas I asked for you two to be married again. You can see how well that worked." She raised her mug in Neil's direction. "Dad probably thinks that if he tells Charlie there's no Santa Claus, then he won't need Dad anymore. This whole Santa thing will pass. Just give it time."

"It's getting late." Neil said, noting the time. "I'll take you home, you must have school in the morning." Jess always did her best to avoid being alone with Neil. She just plain didn't like him. But it was getting late and she knew her dad would be worried so she let her stepfather driver her home.

* * *

><p>When Neil return home that night, Laura was waiting for him outside. An ice cold mug of coffee still gripped between her hands.<p>

"You know," The psychiatrist's wife sighed as he stepped out of the car. "I knew it, I knew that something was going on I-I just...What I can't believe is that he would go behind our backs all this time! Confusing Charlie again just...What are we suppose to do?"

"Well," Neil shrugged. "There's the obvious alternative." He and Laura had been discussing the "obvious alternative" before Jessica had barged into the kitchen.

"Are you sure taking away his visitation rights is the _right _thing to do?" Laura whispered.

"I don't think this is about what's right or wrong here Laura," Neil countered. "It's about doing what's best for Charlie. It doesn't have to be permanent, just something to put this whole Santa situation to rest."

"What about Jess?" His wife frowned.

"She'll be eighteen in two years." Neil said thoughtfully. "She's been living with Scott for six years, and seems to have adjusted just fine. I'll admit there may be some pent up aggression there but it's common among teenagers. I don't see any reason to rearrange her whole life for a couple years."

"You don't think keeping Charlie away from their father is going to rearrange her whole life?" Laura asked.

"Well, Maybe." Neil agreed. "But that could work to our advantage. Jessica might put pressure on Scott to end this whole situation. She's a smart girl Laura, she'll understand that this was our only option." Laura thought for a moment. She wanted to make sure she'd considered the situation from every angle before making a decision.

"Okay." The mother of two complied at last. "Okay."

"I'll have the paperwork drawn up the morning." Neil promised.

* * *

><p>Two weeks, later Scott was just about to jump in the shower, when he heard a knock on the door.<p>

"Jessie, could you get the door?" Scott called out to her.

"Sure Dad." He heard the sounds of his daughter bouncing down the stairs as he turned on the hot water. Jess climbed down the stairs and opened the door. A FedEx driver was standing on the other side with a clipboard in his hands.

"Hi," The driver greeted her. "I've got a delivery for S.C. You S.C.?"

"Scott Calvin's my Dad." She told him. "I'm Sixteen, can I sign for it?" The driver looked down at the list of approved signers. The only other name besides S.C. was Jessica Calvin.

"If you're Jessica Calvin, the paperwork says ya can." The drive agreed. "Sign here please." He handed her the clipboard and she quickly scrawled her signature along the appropriate line.

"There you go."

"Thanks, I'll get your packages." The driver accepted his clipboard and started walking towards his truck.

"Packages?" Jess repeated. Who would be sending her dad packages? He didn't really talk to anyone other than Laura, Neil and the people at work. His co-workers liked him just about as much as his ex-wife at the moment. Maybe he ordered something online or over the phone.

"Yeah, there's quite a few of them." The driver replied over his shoulder.

"Uh, okay. I'll leave the door open." She told the driver. "Just leave them inside here." Making sure the door was open wide enough for the driver, Jess ran back upstairs to interrogate her father. Scott had just finished his shower when Jess began rapidly knocking on the bathroom door.

"Daddy?" She called from behind the door.

"Yeah, what is it, Jessie?" Scott shouted back as he dressed himself.

"There was a FedEx guy at the door." She yelled back.

"Oh, what did he want?" Her father asked, seining the door open.

"Said you had some packages." Jess shrugged. "He let me sign for them."

"Packages?" Scott didn't remember ordering anything, nor did he see a reason for anyone to send him stuff. All the gift giving holidays were still months away. "Let's go check it out."

Together the two returned downstairs to find the entire entry way fill with literally hundreds of red boxes. Jessie peaked over the nearest stack on her tip toes and groaned.

"They go all the way into the living room! What is all this stuff?" She wheeled on her dad, who was looking around for a proof of sender. What he found was a wax sealed envelope. Curious, the would-be Santa opened it to reveal a short note in swirly calligraphy.

_"Here's the list, check it Twice! yours, B."_ Scott mumbled as he read the note aloud.

"All of this," Jess swung her arms wildly at the stacks of red boxes. "Is a _list_? A list of what Dad?" Lifting the lid of the first box she could reach, she peered inside. "It's a list of names. Boxes and boxes of names! Who would send you a list of names?" Jess's eyes grew wide as realization struck her. "Wait, did you say check it twice?" Without thinking she ripped the note from her father's hands. "Dad, this is _another _Santa Claus thing!" Jessica was at her wits end with this story. At first she didn't see the harm when it was just a game between her dad and Charlie. She did start to worry when Charlie didn't understand it was just a story, but she still assumed it was a phase and it would go away. Now, Jess wasn't so sure if her mother and Neil were wrong. "You know Mom's been thinking about keeping Charlie away from you."

"What are you talking about?" Scott demanded.

"Charlie told me that Mom and Neil want to get full custody of him." His daughter replied seriously. "I wasn't going to say anything at first. I mean, the information was coming from an eight year old. But dad, this could be something they're serious about."

"Oh please!" Scott scoffed. "You're mother would never do that!" Jess didn't have a response for her dad, so she didn't say anything. "I don't suppose you want to help me move the boxes into the garage?"

"Not a chance!" She laughed at him before going back upstairs.


	6. Chapter 6

Scott should have known better than to underestimate his ex-wife when she had her mind made up about something. Just as Jess had warned him, Laura and Neil had filed against him for full custody of Charlie. It had taken months for the Millers to get their paperwork through their lawyer, notarized and before a judge. The preliminary hearing was scheduled on December 19th, five days before Christmas Eve.

"I can't believe you're showing up like that!" Jess remarked as she walked down the hall with her father. Scott was dressed in a bright red reindeer sweater, and his snow white beard fully grown in.

"Jessie I don't know what you want me to do!" He snarled back at his daughter. "I shaved five minutes before we left the house."

"I can only defend you so much, Dad." She sighed as they joined Laura and Neal outside of Judge Whalen's office.

"Where Charlie?" Scott demanded immediately. It had been almost six months since he'd last been able to see his son. "I want to talk to him."

"He's with the judge." Laura answered dryly. "Hi Sweetie." She greeted her daughter. Jess had been to visit her mother and Charlie a few times in the past six months, but the daughter was never more than civil with her mother and stepfather. Jess was about to express an obligatory greeting to Neil when Charlie came out of the Judge's office.

"Dad!" The little boy grinned. Scott bend down and scooped up his son. "It's all okay. I told the judge everything about and the North Pole."

"Miss Calvin, could I speak with you please?" Judge Whalen asked Jessica.

"Yes, of course." She followed the judge into his office.

* * *

><p>"Please, have a seat." Judge Whalen gestured to the two chairs in front of his desk. Jess immediately sat down in the closest chair.<p>

"Now, Miss Calvin, you're sixteen years old is that correct?"

"Yeah, sorry, yes." She answered, deciding 'yes' sounded more mature than 'yeah'.

"It's alright, candid responses are more natural. And as a Judge, they help me make the best decision. Feel free to talk to me like you would anyone else."

"Okay." Jess nodded.

"All right, so you've been living with your father, Scott Calvin, is that correct?"

"Yes. My parents have been divorced for seven years now. Since then, Charlie moved out with my mom and I stayed at the old house with my dad. A few years later Neil came along and married Mom."

"How do you feel about your stepfather?"

"Candid answers right?" Jess laughed uncomfortably. "Neil tries too hard, at everything. I think it has to do with his profession. Psychiatrists by nature want to analyze everything. They have to understand it all. I think not everything has an explanation."

"That was a very well thought out answer." The Judge said, writing something down on the paper in front of him. "So let's get down to the matter at hand, Do you believe you're father is Santa Claus?"

"Of course not." She replied earnestly. "And I don't think my dad thinks he is either. He knows there's no such things as elves and he knows that reindeer can't fly. I'm sure you've already talked to Mom and Neil. This whole thing started out as a story between Dad and Charlie. It was just something special for them to share."

"Do you think Charlie would benefit from time away from your father?"

"I don't know." Jess shrugged. "They've been apart for almost six months already and that hasn't seemed to change his mind."

"Well," The judge scribbled a few more notes down, then closed the file before him. "Thank you for coming by today Miss Calvin. I think I have everything I need. Please send your father in."

Jessie did as she was told joined Neil, Laura and Charlie in the hallway while Scott talked to the Judge. Judge Whalen only talked with for ten minutes before he called all the adults back into his office.

"Is the judge going to tell me I can't see Dad anymore?" Charlie asked his sister when they were alone.

"I don't know buddy." Jess admitted sadly. "Try not to think about it alright? Why don't you tell me about how school is going?"

* * *

><p>In the Judges Office, Neil and Laura sat in the two chairs facing the desk. Scott leaned on the room's only window, and all three parents waited for the judges verdict.<p>

"After reviewing all of your testimonies, I've come to a very difficult decision." The judge sighed heavily. "I'm sorry to do this in light of the holiday season, but I think it's in Charlie's best interests that I grant the petition of Dr. and Mrs. Miller. Mr. Calvin, as of today, all of your visitation rights are suspended. Pending a hearing after the first of the year."

The adults walked out of the office with unreadable expressions.

"Charlie, say good-bye to your sister, we have to go." Laura told her son.

"I'll see you later alright, buddy?" Jess hugged her brother goodbye.

"Promise you'll still come visit all the time?" Charlie begged his sister with big eyes.

"I do." She promised. Charlie walked away, hand in hand with Neil and his mother.

"The Judge took away your visitations?" Jessie gave her dad a sympathetic look.

"I-I don't want to talk about it." Was all Scott could get out. He drove home with his daughter in the car and neither spoke to the other. When they entered the house a few stacks of red boxes were still scattered throughout the house. Scott walked over to the nearest pile and gave it a good hard kick. His daughter didn't know what to do or say, so she just went upstairs to her bedroom.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/n: Thank you to suntan140, keacdragon, Sherlocked and the one guest who've reviewed this story so far! I really appreciate anyone who takes to time to leave a review on any of my stories and I especially love to hear they're well received! Thanks again, please continue reading, favoriting, following and reviewing!**

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><p>"Do you want to go for a walk around town? We could look at the Christmas lights." Scott was leaning on the doorway of his daughter's bedroom. Jessica sat on her bed reading her book and ignoring her father. "Oh come on! You love looking at the Christmas lights!"<p>

"Dad, I just don't feel like Christmas this year." She rolled her eyes. She couldn't believe he was trying to coerce her into yuletide celebrations when he'd spent the past year pretending to be Santa Claus. "Dad, if I go for a walk with you to see the Christmas lights, can we skip everything else about Christmas this year?"

"Skip Christmas?" Scott remarked. He was about to argue when he remembered he'd already put a wedge between he and Charlie. It was probably best not to push Jessie away too. "Fine. If you come see the lights with me, no Christmas."

"I'll get my coat." She grabbed her down feather jacket and slipped her feet into her pair of Uggs. Jess would do anything to be rid of Christmas after the year she'd had, even if that mean walking around in the freezing cold. Together she and Scott walked in the snow for an hour looking at the Christmas lights and lawn decorations. Eventually they came upon a familiar looking neighborhood.

"Oh Daddy, no!" Jessie groaned when she spotted Neil and Laura's house. She couldn't believe her dad had concocted the entire 'Christmas lights' scheme just to get her to go with him to her mother's house.

"I just want to know how he's doing." Scott pleaded. "We're already here, what are you going to do, walk home alone?"

"You're ruthless you know that?" His daughter snarled. She reluctantly followed him down the street, to the Miller's front door. Scott knocked, grinning like a five year old when Neil answered the door.

"Hello Jess!" Neal greeted his stepdaughter politely and allowed her to enter the the house.

"Hey Neil." Scott forced entry into the home.

"Scott, you're not supposed to be here." Neil said threateningly.

"Don't make me beat you up, Neil." Scott puffed his chest up.

"Oh, would Santa really beat someone up?" Neil laughed.

"I'm this close!" Scott snarled.

"So you still believe you're Santa?" The psychiatrist questioned.

"I don't know." Scott shrugged.

"What do you mean you don't know!" Charlie exclaimed. He came running in from the dining room. "Of course you are, Dad. How can you say that? Think of all those kids!"

"The only kids I'm thinking about, are you and your sister." Scott told his son seriously.

"Dad, we're fine! You can't let _them_ down. They all believe in you!"

"Charlie listen..." Jessie jumped in.

"You listen!" Charlie snapped at his sister. "You think you know who he is, you don't!"

"Charlie, honey, listen." His mother knelt down by his side. "You're confused."

"I know exactly who he is!" The young boy insisted.

"Charlie, Dad is not Santa!" Jess insisted firmly.

"He is too Santa!" Charlie insisted just as firmly. "We went to the North Pole together. I saw it! The elves are real old even though they look like me. Bernard called me 'Sport' because he knew everything. Right Dad?" This was it, this was the moment where Scott finally had to tell his son that there was no Santa. "Remember!" Charlie yelled.

He threw his special snow globe at his dad. Scott caught the toy with surprising dexterity. He stared into the snowglobe and watched it come to life in his hands. A row of houses lined the inside of the sowglobe. Above the houses flew a miniature sleigh and eight tiny reindeer. A smiled spread across Scott's face, a childlike twinkle appeared in his eyes. Without a word, he knelt down and held his arms open wide for his son. Charlie knew the snowglobe had helped his dad see the truth.

"Thank you, Charlie." Santa whispered in Charlie's ear as father and son shared a hug.

"I love you, Dad." His son whispered back.

"Could you guys leave us alone for a minute?" Scott looked up at Neil and Laura. "I mean, so I can say goodbye to him properly?" Neil opened his mouth to say no, but Laura nodded 'yes'. Jess went to follow her mother out of the room, but Scott called back to her. "Jessie stay."

"You saw!" Charlie marveled when the kids were alone with their father. "You saw the ball come to life!"

"You bet I did." Santa promised."Well, I guess I better go." He said rising to his feet.

"I'll get my stuff!" Charlie agreed.

"Get your stuff? Charlie, you can't come home with us." Jessie shook her head.

"We're not going home we're going..."

"Well, wait sport!" Scott interrupted. "I think it's a much better idea if you just stayed here with your mom."

"But I want to be with you Dad." Charlie frowned.

"Boy, I love hearing you say that." Scott smiled.

"You mean I can go?" The eight year old boy grinned. "And Jess, you'll come too right?" He looked up at his older sister. Jess didn't answer. She just stared at the guy who'd suddenly appeared in her mother's dining room.

"Boy this bird is dry. Haven't you people heard about basting?" The guy complained before putting down the turkey led he'd been munching on.

"Bernard!" Charlie remarked before running in the elf's direction.

"Hiya Sport!" The elf greeted Santa's son with a hug.

"Charlie, who is that?" His sister questioned. Bernard stood in the doorway uncomfortably as Jess studied him. He was wearing an unusual red and white striped tunic and plain brown slacks. A necklace made of jinglebells produced the tiniest of jangles as he walked. A velvet green hat rested on top of his curly hair and a brown satchel was slung over his right shoulder.

"This is Bernard, he's one of my elves." Scott told his daughter. He thought it would've been obvious since the elf had appeared at the table from thin air. _He's an_ _Elf_? Jess gasped internally. _He's Santa. My dad is actually Santa Claus._

"Head elf actually." Bernard corrected the new Santa. "Jessie, nice to finally meet you." He offered out his hand. She shook the elves hand politely.

"Aren't you a little tall to be an elf?" She questioned with a smile. Charlie and Scott were both surprised that she didn't correct the head elf for his liberal use of the nickname.

"Aren't you a little short for a human?" The head elf countered with his own smile.

"Touché." Jess laughed.

"Are you coming with us to the Pole?" Bernard questioned the teenage girl.

"Well, I'm not going to stay home alone." She promised. It still seemed impossible that Charlie and her dad had been right all along.

"Bernard, can I go? Please, can I go?" Charlie begged the elf, tugging on his sleeve.

"It's okay with me." Bernard said, looking over at Santa.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/n: Thanks to Keacdragon for another review! Chapter 7 is a bit of a long one, but it's mostly fluff about the Calvin's at the pole! As always, I love to know what y'all think! Thanks for favoriting, Following, Reading and Reviewing! **

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><p>The workshop was a large circular room with enormous stained glass windows. Two large sets of stairs led to the upper level which housed various offices and was also where the main kitchen was located. Everywhere Jess looked there were brightly colored decorations or piles of toys. More toys were traveling on conveyer belts and being assembled by elves. Other elves were running through the workshop fulfilling their pre-Christmas duties. She had only been standing on the main floor for five minutes, and was already overwhelmed.<p>

"How could anyone keep track of what goes on here?" Jess marveled as she watched Santa's helpers work.

"It's a tough job." Bernard agreed. "But someone's got to do it." He was trying to act casual about his job, but in truth Bernard loved being head elf. He liked that he had responsibilities. He liked that the other elves looked up to him both literally and figuratively. Through the years, the head elf had proven himself invaluable."Speaking of which, Santa you'd better start checking your list."

"Bernard you're right. There's only a few days left until Christmas!" Scott exclaimed. "I'll be with the list checkers. Charlie you want to come with me?"

"Well, I had a different idea." Charlie tugged on Bernard's sleeve so the head elf would bend down. He whispered something, and Bernard began to nod.

"Charlie has a couple of ideas for the Research and Development department." He explained. "I'll take him there myself if it's okay with you."

"As long as he won't be any trouble." Scott agreed. "Jessie, do you want to see the Naughty and Nice list?"

"I've seen the list, Dad." Jess rolled her eyes. "Remember it was _shipped to our house_?" She narrowed her eyes at Bernard, but he was too busy talking to Charlie.

"Oh yeah." Scott recollected. "Well, if you need me, any of the elves can show you the way." With that Scott headed upstairs to confer with his list checkers.

"C'mon Bernard!" Charlie pulled at Bernard's arm.

"Well Hang on Charlie, what about your sister?" The head elf questioned.

"I was wondering if I could help make some of the toys." Santa's daughter said.

"Do you know anything about making toys?" Bernard asked, crossing his arms.

"technically, no." Jess admitted sheepishly. "But I'm really involved in my High School's theater program. I build and design a lot of the sets. I bet I could assemble or paint toys." Bernard highly doubted Jessie could build elf quality toys, but he could see that she wanted to help.

"I can put you with the wooden trains crew." He replied after a thoughtful minute. Trains were easy enough to assemble, even Charlie could build one. If Jessie showed great promise with the trains, he could always move her up to something harder. "They're right over there. You'll want to talk to Cecilia, she's in charge of painting and assembling for all wooden toys."

"Thanks!" Jess bounced over to the area Bernard had pointed to. She had to ask around a little before finding Cecilia. Cecilia was a tiny blonde elf dressed from head to toe in powder blue. The Chief of Wooden Toys had a sharp eye for detail. She was standing over a workbench, painting spots on a wooden giraffe. "Cecilia?" The daughter of Santa Claus said quietly. She reached out to tap the elf on the shoulder but decided against it so as to not disrupt the painting process.

"Don't tell me the carpenters have stopped carving again!" Cecilia mumbled before she turned around. "Oh hello and who are you?"

"Hi, I'm Jess. Bernard said it would be all right for me to help paint and assemble trains." She answered. "That is if, it's alright with you." Cecilia couldn't really argue with orders that came from the head elf. Ignoring his wishes just wasn't worth the lecture.

"Are you any good with a brush?" She raised an eyebrow at the teenager.

"Yeah. I'm not so good with poka-dots." Jess admitted. "But I can free hand pinstripes and a few other things."

"I'll start you off on trains, since that's where Bernard wants you. It's not much of challenge. All solid, primary colors, you just follow the painting chart. But if you're half-way decent I'll try and get you moved up to animals or doll houses." Cecilia decided. Skilled painting took time and as a result she could never have too many painters. "Now, you can have the station next to Julie."

Jess sat down at the stationed she'd been assigned. A piled of trains was already stacked there. After quickly studying the diagram, she began painting trains and placing them on the drying rack.

* * *

><p>Bernard led Charlie to the Research and Development department just like he'd promised Santa. Inside he introduced the boy to the department head, Quintin. Quintin had a strange accent that Charlie couldn't identify. They again he <em>was<em> only eight.

"Charlie, I have a few things to check on in the workshop, are you going to be alright if I leave you here with Quintin?" Bernard asked.

"I'll be fine, Bernard." The boy promised. Bernard did a quick inspection of Research department before leaving to take care of his other duties.

"So, Charlie," Quintin said to the little boy. "Bernard tells me you have a few ideas to keep Santa safe?"

"Yeah, I have lots of ideas!" Charlie promised. "A fireproof suit for fireplaces, upgrade the sleigh for vertical take-off, a cookie dispenser..." Quintin's eyes gleamed as Charlie rattled off his ideas.

"Well what are we waiting for?" He smiled. "Let's get started!"

* * *

><p>Bernard walked the floor of the workshop checking on the various departments. It was crunch time for the elves and as the elf in charge he needed to make sure everything went off without a hitch. <em>I should check on Santa.<em> He thought when he passed the door to Naughty and Nice List. Poking his head into the room, Bernard called out.

"Santa? Are you still in here?"

"Bernard?" Scott yelled from the back of the room. "I'm over her by the R's!" Bernard made his way over to Santa to see if he needed anything. "How are the kids?" The father of Christmas questioned.

"I left Charlie in Research about an hour ago. He seemed right at home there." Bernard promised. "I haven't been to check on Jessie yet, but Cecilia hasn't sent anyone to complain to me either. That's usually a good sign." Cecilia was very picky about her assemblers and painters. Even elves on the train crew were heavily criticized by her watchful eye.

"Who's Cecilia? And what's Jessie doing?" Santa asked.

"Cecilia is in charge of Wooden Toys." Bernard replied. "Jess wanted to help make toys, so I sent her to work with the trains crew."

"Oh you have to get her out of there!" Scott laughed. "Jessie's a fantastic painter. She designs all the sets for her school plays."

"I'm aware." Bernard growled under his breath. "I'll go talk to her now. Remember to check the list twice."

"I'll check it three times!" Scott yelled after Bernard once he left the room.

* * *

><p>Jessie was painting two trains for every one the elves on either side of her could. As he approached the painting area, Bernard noticed the dramatic difference in the girl's ability to paint.<p>

"Cecilia, could I have a word with you?" The head elf asked his underling while she put the finishing touches on a carousel horse.

"I know we're a bit behind, Bernard." Cecilia sighed. "It's because my carpenters keep taking unscheduled breaks. But that new girl you sent me, she fantastic! Best elf I've had in years. She paints circles around my regular team. Where'd she come from anyway?"

"She's not an elf." Bernard laughed. "That's Santa's daughter."

"Bernard, I don't have time for jokes! We have serious work to do." Cecilia snapped. "If you don't want to tell me that's fine. Please talked to the carpenters!"

"It's not a joke!" The head elf insisted. "Santa has two kids. His son Charlie, and his daughter Jessica. I came over to check on her." Cecilia could tell by Bernard's tone that he wasn't joking. She turned her eyes over to the train painting station and noticed the Jess's ears were rounded, not pointed. She was also wearing a grey cable knit sweater and jeans rather than typical elf dress. Cecilia felt ridiculous for not noticing sooner.

"I put Santa's daughter on train duty!" She said, looking suddenly horrified. "I'm so fired."

"Relax." Bernard insisted. "_You_ didn't put Jess on train duty, _I_ did. Are you okay with me moving her up to doll houses?"

"Be my guest!"Cecilia agreed quickly.

* * *

><p>Charlie was sitting in the sleigh helping Quintin adjust a few features on the dashboard when he had an idea.<p>

"Dad r_eally_ loves Judy's hot chocolate." The eight year old boy thought out loud.

"We elves really like it too." Quintin agreed as he reconnected a wire that was hanging below the dashboard.

"Do you think we could make a spot for a Thermos here?" Charlie rubbed his hand over a vacant area on the dash.

"No." Quintin said seriously. Charlie began to frown before Quintin rapidly added more. "I think we can do better than just a Thermos! How about we take your cookie dispenser idea and make a cookie and cocoa dispenser?"

"Yeah!" Charlie grinned widely.

* * *

><p>Back at the painting station Bernard watched Jessie for few more minutes. She <em>was<em> an exceptional painter. She followed the diagram from memory and rarely second guessed herself. Each piece she painted was meticulous and uniform. They were practically perfect. Jess heard him walking over from Cecilia's station. The bells around the head elf's neck jingled with his every step. Putting the finishing touches on her last train, Jess smiled up at Bernard.

"Cecilia tells me that you're quite the painter." He said while inspecting her trains up close. "That's high praise coming from her."Bernard lifted a completed train off the drying rack and turned it over in his hands. "She thought you were an elf." He teased.

"I'm going to take that as a compliment." Jess replied defiantly. She was enjoying making toys with the elves and wasn't going to let Bernard's teasing ruin it.

"Think you could paint a doll house?" Bernard wagged his eyebrows at her.

"Bring it on."


	9. Chapter 9

**A/n: Thanks again to keacdragon for yet another review! I'm only able to get these chapters out so fast because they're based off the movie. Hopefully when I have to fill in with my more original content my updates with be as quick! I'm almost done with the first movie so those "original Content" chapters will be coming up soon. I have the first one planned out but not much after that! Hopefully the story maintains its quality! Thanks again to everyone out there for reading, favorting, following and reviewing!**

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><p>Christmas Eve finally arrived. With Jess and Charlie's help, the elves were more prepared for the big night than they had been in years. Just hours before Santa and his reindeer would leave for the big night Bernard called for an important meeting. Scott, Charlie, Jessie, Judy and Quintin met him outside of the Research and Development Department.<p>

"Good, everyone's here." Bernard nodded as he mentally took roll. "Santa, this is Quintin." He introduced Scott to the head of Research.

"Quintin, Good to meet you!" Scott shook the elf's hand. He was making a point to learn the names of all his elves.

"Hello Santa." The elf greeted him back. "Charlie and I have put our heads together, and I think we've got a few surprises for you." Quintin swung the doors to his department wide open, inviting the others inside.

"This is some of the best stuff that's come out of the workshop since...the ball!" Bernard marveled as he led the way.

"Fabulous." Santa said sarcastically. "Did you make me something in case I fall of the roof, Sport?" Scott looked down at his son hopefully. Charlie didn't answer his father. He just walked through the department proudly with Jessie and Judy on either. The tour stopped first at a metallic red jumpsuit. After ensuring everyone was a safe distance away, Quintin pushed a big red button that ignited two jets of flame. The flames shot up from the floor at the suit.

"Fireplaces will no longer be a problem." Bernard declared proudly. When the flames were extinguished the suit still looked shiny and new.

"It's a new fabric." Quintin explained. "Completely flame retardant. It's light, yet durable."

"And you can wear the jumpsuit underneath your coat and pants." Judy pointed out.

"But what do I do, if I fall off a roof?" Scott repeated his main concern.

"Just don't fall off the roof." Jessie suggested as if it were that easy.

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><p>Outside of the workshop, Santa was getting ready for his take-off. The reindeer were harnessed, his magic gift bag and all the presents were placed in the back of sleigh, there was even a seat belt up front for Charlie. While the elves gave to sleigh its final check, Scott noticed something in his seat. A red and white striped length of rope. <em>What's this?<em> Santa thought to himself as he picked it up. There was a note attached to the rope: _From Comet to Santa._ Smiling Scott looked for the reindeer in the line-up of eight.

"Comet, did you make this card?" He asked. The reindeer produced a throaty noise of agreement and nodded his head. "It's a nice rope." He appraised the bundle in his hand. "This in case I fall off the roof?" Again Comet grunted and nodded. "Comet, this means a lot to me." Santa reached out and scratched his reindeer behind the ear.

The final checks were completed and all of the North Pole's residents stood outside to see Santa off. Charlie immediately climbed into the passenger's seat of the sleigh and buckled his seat belt. Jessie wrapped her arms around her father's neck to share a hug with him.

"Are you sure you don't want to come with us?" Scott offered to her one last time.

"I'm not a fan of commercial flying." Jessie's face twisted into a look of disgust. "I don't see how a sleigh would be any different. Merry Christmas, Daddy." Standing on her tip-toes, Jess kissed her father on the cheek.

"Merry Christmas, Princess." Scott replied. He sat down next to Charlie in the sleigh.

"Merry Christmas, Jess!" Charlie yelled down from his seat.

"Merry Christmas, Buddy!" She hollered back. "I'm sorry I didn't believe you before."

"It's okay!" Her little brother promised.

"All right, let's go!" Scott ordered, picking up his reins. "Now Dasher, now Dancer, now Prancer and Vixen..."

"On Comet, On Cupid, on Donner and Blitzen!" Charlie finished for his dad and the reindeer began to hover above the ground. Scott and his son waved down at Jess, Bernard and the rest of the elves while they were talking off.

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><p>Scott and Charlie hadn't been delivering gifts for very long when they young boy had the craving for some hot chocolate. He leaned forward and immediately Scott began to panic.<p>

"Charlie, stay in your seat!"

"Hang on," His son ignored him. "I Gotta show you this." Santa looked away from the sky to see what his son was doing.

"Oh, a CD. Compact Disk. Cool, Sport." He nodded before looking back up.

"No!" Charlie pushed a button and two cookies popped out. He pushed a second button and warm hot cocoa began to flow into two pewter mugs. "CD stands for Cookie and Cocoa Dispenser!"

"How could I have done this without you, Charlie?" Scott joked as he sipped from a cup of Judy's warm Hot Chocolate.

"You couldn't." The little boy replied seriously. "Look, there's Mom and Neil's street!" Charlie pointed at the city blocks below. "Can we go there next?"

"Sure." Scott agreed.

"Good." Charlie smiled. "Jessie helped me make something for them at the workshop."

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><p>With the reindeer and Charlie parked on the roof of Neil's house, Scott went down the chimney and began placing gifts under Laura's tree.<p>

"Freeze!" An unfamiliar voice called out to Santa. On instinct Scott froze. He was surprised, but relieved to see it was only a couple of policemen.

"Oh!" Scott breathed with relief. "Ho-ho-ho! You officers really gave me a scare, Merry Christmas!" He said in his jolly holiday voice.

"No for you, fat boy!" One of the officers said as he turned on the light.

"Fat boy?" The father of Christmas repeated. He stood still as the two office removed him from the home. "Guys, I've got a lot of work to do. This is a big mistake really!" Santa's hat fell off as he was carried from the room. "You gotta watch the suit too. This is so old, it's an antique."

"Where's the boy?" One of the officers demanded. For the first time that night Scott was glad Jessie had stayed at the pole with Bernard, she be safe there. He didn't understand exactly what was going on, but he did have a feeling it had to do with Laura and Neil.

"Charlie?" Scott asked. "He's in the sleigh." Charlie watched helplessly from the top of the roof as his father was forced into a squad car and taken away.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/n: Huge thank yous to Keacdragon, Flowerchild23, BurBur and the one guest who reviewed Chapter 9! Also always I'm grateful for all of you taking time to review my work! Please enjoy Chapter 10, and continue Reading, Reviewing, Following and Favoriting!**

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><p>Bernard was sitting at his desk writing the outline for his post-Christmas speech. The new Santa didn't seem to be much of a planner, so motivating the elves would most likely fall into his lap <em>again<em> this year. Jessie had followed the head elf into his office without really thinking about it. There was no place for her to go now that the toys were finished and deliveries were being made. Sure she could have sat with Judy and Quintin while they listened in on Santa's progress, but the Research and Development Department was overcrowded with elves. Bernard's office was quiet. The only noises in the room were coming from the quiet scratching of the elf's calligraphy pen as it danced across his parchment and the occasional crunch whenever the teenage girl bit into a new cookie.

"How did you learn to write like that?" Jessie questioned Bernard while she watched his hand create beautiful swirling letters.

"Write like what?" He looked up from his notes. He didn't see anything special in his handwriting. It was the way most elves wrote.

"The Calligraphy. Can I take a closer look?"

"Be my guest." Bernard had never let anyone look at his post-Christmas outline before, but there was something about Jessie's warm, trusting presence that softened his tough exterior. She stood next to him to get a better view of the artistic handwriting.

"You should see how ugly my handwriting is..." A light laugh, that reminded the head elf so much of a bell's jingling, escaped from the girl's lips. He was about to offer her calligraphy lessons when two elves burst into his office. It was Judy and Quintin.

"We've got a problem!" Judy announced worriedly. "Santa was at the Miller's, but he's not responding."

"I think it's time to deploy E.L.F.S." Quintin suggested.

"Did he just say it's time to deploy the elfs?" Jessie asked.

"No, he said E.L.F.S. it's an acronym for..." Bernard began to correct her.

"It's easier to just show you." Quintin insisted.

"Right," The head elf agreed. The group of four ran to the main floor of the workshop where Bernard tugged on a rope that hung from the ceiling. This sounded an alarm in the E.L.F.S. office. Jessie watched four elves dressed in flight suits run out of their office and towards the sleigh room.

"E.L.F.S." She read from the window above the office. "Effective Liberating Flight Squad."

"They're a highly trained team of elves." Bernard promised her. "We created E.L.F.S. hundreds of years ago for situations like this. How do you think Santa's gone so long undetected?"

"What about Charlie?" The boy's sister asked. "E.L.F.S. will make sure he's alright too?"

"Well we're certainly not going to leave him stranded on a roof!" Quintin assured her.

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><p>Stranded on a roof was exactly where Charlie Calvin found himself that night after watching the police arrest his dad. The sky was dark with only the stars for light. He might have thought it was pretty if he wasn't too worried about being stuck on Neil's roof forever. Four small figures, Charlie instantly knew to be elves, landed on the roof around him.<p>

"Charlie?" One of the E.L.F.S. agents asked.

"Yeah." He answered cautiously.

"Don't worry, we're the good guys." The agent promised. "C'mon, let's go save Santa!" He offer a hand to the son of Santa.

"We can't." Charlie said, getting to his feet. "The police are watching this place."

"Yeah, they probably are." A second member of E.L.F.S. agreed. "But you see we weren't figuring on walking out the front door. "

"We find that we can get around a lot faster if we fly. Now, grab hold of my hand." The first agent offered out his hand again. Charlie took it this time without hesitation. "Okay, now hang on tight. And Charlie?"

"Yeah?" The boy asked.

"Don't ever try this without elf supervision."

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><p>"Bernard, can you take me to Mom and Neil's?" Jess asked the head elf.<p>

"Transporting humans is difficult." He said with a frown. "I've never tried it before."

"I trust you." She promised before holding out her hand to him. Bernard knew it would probably help Santa if his daughter could smooth things over with Laura, but he also knew that if he lost the girl somewhere he'd lose his job. Sighing he gripped Jessie's hand tightly.

"Whatever you do, do not let go." He ordered. "And don't talk, I have to concentrate." Jess did as she was told. Holding Bernard's hand tightly she waited to be transported to Neil and Laura's house.

Two sets of feet landed safely in the center of the Miller's house. Immediately Laura and Neil rushed out of the kitchen to see what was going on.

"Jess!" Her mother threw her arms around her. "Oh where have you been? Where's Charlie?"

"Laura," Neil marveled. Hi stepdaughter and her friend had just appeared from seemingly nothing. "He's sucking us into his delusions!"

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><p>In the mean time, Charlie and the E.L.F.S. squad had arrived at the police station. A portly cop with a red handlebar mustache was chomping away at a doughnut.<p>

"We're looking for Santa Claus." Charlie told the officer.

"Go home kids." The officer grumbled. "Visiting hours are over."

"We're not kids." The head of E.L.F.S. said. "and we're not visiting."

"We're here to bust out my dad." Charlie explained.

"You're the Calvin boy!" The office recognized him from the photos. "Who are these other kids?"

"We're your worst nightmare." One of the E.L.F.S. agents promised. While the officer was distracted the three other agents snuck behind him and forced him into his chair. "Elves with attitude!"

"I shouldn't have had that doughnut!" The office remarked as he was spun around in the chair. The E.L.F.S. team wrapped layer after layer of Christmas ribbon around the policeman to secure him to the chair. This gave the elves the opportunity to liberate Santa from his jail cell.

"Charlie!" Scott yelled at the first sight of his son.

"Are you okay Dad?" The boy asked, running over.

"I am now!" Santa breathed with relief when he spotted his E.L.F.S. team. Without another word the head agent removed a few stands of tinsel from his pocket and rubbed them along the hinges of Scott's cell. The tinsel cut through the hinges like butter allowing Scott to lift the door off the cell out of his way.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Another kind review from Keacdragon! Thanks so much as always! There's a bit of Neil and Jess bonding in this next Chapter, and hopefully a little JessXBernard fluff in Chapter 12! Please enjoy Chapter 11, I'm hoping to get 12 out by later tonight!**

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><p>At the Miller's house Neil, Laura and Jessie were arguing about something when Scott and Charlie returned there.<p>

"Mom?" Charlie yelled, standing next to his dad in the living room. At first the others couldn't hear him over their own voices. "Mom! Neil! I'm home!"

"Isn't that Charlie?" Bernard, who could hear above the chaos with his elf ears, questioned. Jess, Neil and Laura listened for Charlie's voice. When they heard him the family raced to the living room.

"Charlie!" Laura shouted with relief at the sight of her son. "Charlie, oh my god! Sweetheart come here." Charlie did what he was told hugging his mother as she clung to him. "Oh my boy." She mumbled stroking his hair.

"Mom, I'm fine." Charlie assured her impatiently. "It's okay."

"I don't have a lot of time." Scott interrupted when he heard the sounds of siren's approaching.

"Did you leave the gifts Jess and I made under the tree?" The nine year old boy asked his dad.

"You bet I did." Santa promised.

"We'd better go then!" Charlie tugged on his Dad's sleeve.

"No, Charlie!" Laura said immediately. "No, no, no..."

"It's okay, Laura." Scott promised. He gave her a look, ensuring that he would take care of things properly this time. Charlie, who was afraid his mom may want to keep him away from his dad, was hiding behind his sister. "Actually Sport," Santa crouched down to look his son in the eyes. "I think it's a much better idea, for both you and Jessie to stay here with your Mom and Neil."

"Really?" Laura didn't believe what she was hearing.

"But, Dad..." Jessie and Charlie both started to argue.

"No buts." Their father told them firmly. He put his right hand on Charlie's shoulder and used his left hand to hold one of Jess's. "I can't be selfish, kids. I can't be with you all the time. We're a family. The two of you, me, your mom..." He looked over his shoulder where Neil was leaning forgotten against the wall. "And Neil." The stepfather smiled back it was nice to be recognized even if it was by a crazy person. "They need to be with you too."

"I'll miss you too much!" Charlie wailed. He gripped his father tight and began to sob. It was all happening too fast for Jessie. She'd lived with Scott her whole life, even after her parent's divorce. It was always her and her dad against the rest of the world. Biting back tears of her own, Jess watched as Charlie cried into his father's shoulder.

"Listen to me," Scott said peeling his son off of him. "There's a lot of kids out there, okay? Millions of kids. And they're...they all believe in me. They're counting on me Charlie and I'm not going to let them down. I've got a lot of work to do."

"So I can't be selfish either." His son snuffled.

"You gave me a wonderful gift Charlie. Listen, a wonderful gift." Santa explained. "You believed in me when nobody else did. You helped _make_ me Santa. Selfish? Come on. You're the least selfish person I know."

"I love you Santa Claus." Charlie said as he wiped away the last of his tears.

"I love you, Son." The father of Christmas stood and turned over to his ex-wife. "Laura, what do you think, Christmas Eve I'll spend it with Charlie and Jessie?"

"Oh my god." His ex-wife remarked when she truly saw him for the first time. Her own tears brimmed over and dripped down her face. "It's you. It really is you. You really are...Santa Claus."

"Pretty cool, huh?" He laughed. "And you're parents thought I'd never amount to anything."

"Wait, don't go yet!" Laura ordered. "I have something for you..." She ran from the room. Neil was still entirely convinced this was a delusional episode. Charlie had his arms wrapped around Scott's waist, and Jessie had a hand over her mouth. She didn't speak for fear of completely losing her composure.

"Princess, don't look at me like that." Scott begged his daughter.

"You can't leave!" She managed to choke out.

"What's all this boo-hooing goin' on here?" Bernard demanded. The family hadn't even noticed the elf slip out of the room. He wanted to give them a chance to figure things out on their own, but it was starting to get depressing.

"I'm just saying goodbye to Charlie and Jessie, Bernard." Santa Claus explained.

"What, goodbye?" Bernard was confused. "Charlie you've still got the glass ball I gave you last Christmas, right?"

"Yeah. " Charlie kept it by his bed so he could watch it come to life before he fell asleep each night.

"Well all you've gotta do is shake it whenever you want to see your dad." The elf promised. "He can come back to see you anytime day or night. And Jessie, you'll be eighteen in a year. Once you're finished with school, you can come live at the pole if you'd like."

"Really?" Charlie was the one who asked, but both he and Jess looked relieved.

"Hey, have I ever steered ya wrong?" Charlie shook his head no and Laura returned to the room with a folder in her hands.

"Here." She stood by the fireplace and held the folder between her hands. "It's um...well it's my Christmas present to you. It the...ah, it's the custody papers." She said before throwing the papers into the fire. "And I want you to come and see the kids as often as you can."

"You can count on it." Scott looked over at his two kids. "Thanks, Laura."

"Merry Christmas." She replied.

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><p>Scott and Bernard had to leave to deliver the rest of his presents, which gave Neil and Laura plenty of time to talk to the police. Charlie and Jess went upstairs to clean out the guest room. Which had just become her room. There was a knock on the door and Neil entered.<p>

"The police are taken care of." Their stepfather said. "Jessica could I talk to you?"

"uh, yeah, Charlie why don't you give us a minute?" Sensing this wasn't a conversation he wanted to witness, her brother scurried out of the room. "What's up?" She asked Neil, sitting on the bed.

"Well, I just wanted to say that I know you and I haven't always been on the best of terms." He sat down next to Jess. "You and Scott have always been very close, and you must have felt like I was putting a wedge between that. I've never wanted to replace your father..."

"I know that Neil." she assured him. "I just...I always wanted to be normal. You know one dad, one mom. When I was ten, I was the only kid in my class with divorced parents. A few years later you and Mom were married. Then I was the only kid with a stepfather. Now, my Dad is Santa Claus."

"Not everyone who has two parents is normal either."

"Yeah, I know. You should meet Brian's parents, they're a wreck." She rolled her eyes. "I guess my point is, by the time Id realized that there wasn't anything wrong with having divorced parents or a Stepdad, the damage was already done. So I kept treating you badly because that's how things had already been."

"Well, maybe since you'll be staying here, we can get to know each other better." Neil suggested.

"I'd like that."

"MOM!" Charlie was yelling from downstairs.

"Just when I thoughts things were quieting down." Neil sighed. At the bottom of the stairs Neil and Jess saw Charlie violently shaking his snowglobe.

"This stupid Ball's not working!" Charlie complained. Scott stepped through the front door with his bag slung over his shoulder.

"Hey Sport, you missed me already?" he laughed. "I've been gone, what thirty minutes? give me a break. I was on my way to Cleveland." Charlie didn't say anything, He just launched himself into his dad's arms. "Do you wanna come for a quick ride?"

"Please, Mom?" He begged Laura who was standing right behind him.

"Go on, get out of here!" She waved the two off.

"Wait Dad!" Jess called from the stairs. "Can I come too?"

"I thought you hated flying?" Scott asked.

"Just once couldn't hurt." She sighed. "Just um not over any oceans or not too high..."

"Let's go, I have a lot to do in just one night!"Santa said with a smile and a twinkle in his eye.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/n: Much love to Flowerchild23, Starrat, and the one guest who took the time out of their day to review Chapter 11! As I said before I love reviews! They just help me feel motivated. Chapter 12 is a bit of a fluff piece, but I hope you enjoy it just the same! As always, thanks for Reading, favorting, following and Reviewing! **

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><p>It had been almost two months since the Christmas that Scott Calvin had officially accepted his role as Santa Claus. He had been introduced to all of the elves and had even been putting in a valiant effort to remember all their names. Things had even calmed down at the Miller household. Jess had gotten all of her things moved in and was starting to develop a routine. Even Charlie had begun calling on his dad less and less. Which is why Bernard was so surprised when Santa came into his office on Valentine's Day.<p>

"I thought I'd find you in here." Scott looked down at the elf accusingly. "Why aren't you giving out cards with the rest of the elves?"

"I'm not much of a well-wisher." Bernard snapped. He returned to the piles of papers surrounding his desk. Everywhere he turned were packets from Elves requesting time off. Now that busy season was over everyone wanted their hard earned breaks.

"I was hoping you could do me a favor, if you're not too busy that is." The Head Elf looked up from his paperwork with interest. He'd do just about anything to take a break from the seemingly endless requests. "I have a meeting with the Easter Bunny and I was supposed to be there...five minutes ago. He wants to meet with me to discuss ways to improve gift distribution."

"You want me to meet with the Easter Bunny for you?" Bernard was surprised. None of the past Santas had ever asked him to meet with a member of the Legendary Figures Council before.

"NoHoHo, I don't want you to meet with the Easter Bunny." Scott laughed. "Charlie keeps calling for me on the snowglobe, I was hoping you could go down and talk to him for me. You know, just let him know I'll be down there as soon as I can."

"Sure Santa." The head elf pushed away from his desk and stood up."I'll check on him right now. I'll let you know if it's anything you should be worried about." Concentrating on the Miller's House in his mind, Bernard transported himself. There was a new side table in the hall and Bernard bumped into it as he appeared. Laura, who'd heard the disturbance from the living room, came to check on the noise.

"Oh, hello Bernard." She greeted the elf kindly.

"Mrs. Miller." He nodded his own greeting. "Santa sent me, he said Charlie's been calling..."

"He seemed fine when he came home from school." Laura shrugged. "But it's been a week or two since he's talked to Scott, maybe that's it."

"Maybe, do you mind if I go up and see him?"

"Be my guest." Laura invited.

Bernard climbed up the stairs expecting Charlie to be in his room. He was surprised to see the nine year old boy sitting with his ear pressed against Jessie's bedroom door.

"Charlie, what are you doing?" The elf whispered.

"Bernard!" Charlie whispered back with relief. "Jess' in her room."

"I figured as much, Sport. Why are you listening at her door?" The elf crouched down next to Charlie and leaned against the wall.

"She picked me up after school like she always does." Charlie said. "But when we got home, she locked her door. She's been crying."

"Has she been crying since you got home?" Bernard asked. Charlie nodded. "Why didn't you get your mom, she's right down stairs."

"Because, I thought maybe Jess missed Dad. Could you talk to her Bernard?" _This so isn't part of my job description._ The elf thought as he massaged his forehead. At the very least he could talk to Jessie, find out why she was upset and report back to Santa. After all that was why he'd come all this way. To see what Charlie needed. He should just go the extra step and see if Jessie could be helped.

"I'll talk to her." Bernard agreed. "But you should probably go to your room or something. She won't be happy if she finds out you've been listening."

"Thank you Bernard!" Charlie hugged his favorite elf before sneaking off to his room. Bernard stood up again and knocked on Jessie's door.

"Mom, I'm really not hungry." Jessie's muffled voice called from the other side of your door.

"Uh," Bernard cleared his throat not sure what to say. "Jessie, It's me Bernard. Can I come in?" He heard a soft click as the door was unlocked. Then the handle jingled and the door swung open.

"Bernard," Jessie greeted him with puffy red eyes. "W-what are you doing here?"

"Well, Charlie's been calling for Santa all day. Santa had an appointment with the Easter Bunny so he asked me to check things out. When I got here Charlie said you've been crying all day.."

"Oh my god, this is so embarrassing." Jess hid her face in her hands. "You should just go back to the workshop. Tell Charlie that I'm fine."

"And Ah, what should I say to Santa when he asks why you were crying?"

"Just...tell him that my boyfriend Brian broke up with me. Since that's technically what happened." Jess sighed. She wiped at her eyes with the end of her sleeve.

"Oh you shouldn't do that," Bernard mumbled before rummaging through his satchel. It makes your eyes redder when you use your sleeve, that's why tissues were invented. Here." He offered a green silk handkerchief out to her. She took it thankfully and dabbed under her eyes.

"Forgive me for intruding," Bernard didn't know what he was thinking, this was none of his business and Jessie clearly didn't want to talk about it. Yet he couldn't stop himself when the next words tumbled out. "But, ah, Do you want to talk about it?"

"I want to forget the whole thing ever happened." Jess groaned, throwing herself on her bed. Bernard stood just inside Jess' still open door not sure what to do or say. It had never been his job to be comforting before. That was usually Judy's preferred hobby. The head elf tended to avoid emotional baggage at all costs. "I just...Today's Valentine's Day...Do you celebrate Valentine's Day at the pole?"

"Um yeah, some of the elves do." Bernard nodded.

"Well, there's a few hours between when I get out of school and when Charlie gets out of school so Brian and I were suppose to hang out." Jess was talking, but her mind wasn't really in her bedroom with Bernard. Instead she was replaying the afternoon's event's over and over in her mind. "So we went to the park to hang out in his car. We do_...did_ this all the time. We...started kissing..." She admitted awkwardly. Her eyes filled up with tears. "And then Brian decided he wanted something a little more than that. I said no, but he tried it again."

"Did he...?"

"No, no." Jess promised. "After I said no twice, we argued for a bit. He said he earned more than just kissing after two years together. I said I still wanted to wait, so he told me to get out of his car and that he never wanted to see me again. I walked the two blocks back to school and got my car. I know it's stupid to be so upset..."

"It's not stupid." Bernard disagreed. "Two years is a long time for a high school relationship." The elf made a mental note to ensure Brian Andrews found his way onto the naughty list when he got back to the pole. Bernard crossed the room and sat on the bed next to Jessie. She leaned her head on his shoulder and rubbed the smooth fabric of his handkerchief between her fingers. "You did the right thing, Jessie."

"Then why do I feel so bad?" She cried. Her eyes were leaking again, and the girl tried to control her breathing.

"Because you had your heartbroken." Bernard had never been in love per say, but he did remember how he felt when he lost his first Santa. Within hours a new Santa arrived at the pole. A centuries younger Bernard was devastated at the older elves' ability to simply forget the previous Santa. "I think Santa is still in his meeting, but would you like me to get your mother or Dr. Miller?"

"Thank you, but no." She sniffled. "I know they're both trying, but I'm not comfortable talking to them about stuff like this yet."

"It doesn't make you uncomfortable talking to me?" He was surprised. Many of the elves at the pole were afraid of asking Bernard simple questions, but here Jessie was practically sobbing on his shoulder.

"No." She dabbed her eyes. "You're easy to talk to. You don't ask too many questions and you don't try to analyze me." Bernard didn't dare mention that he had been analyzing the situation the entire time. Jessie had managed to stop crying again and she looked down at the Handkerchief in her hands. It was a small square of fabric with a large red 'B' embroidered in one corner. "Judy gives me one every year for Christmas." The elf said as he followed her gaze.

"They're beautiful." Jess said in aw. "I wonder where she gets them."

"She makes them." Bernard answered. "You can keep that one if you'd like."

"You don't mind?"

"I told you, Judy gives me one _every year_ for Christmas. That's a lot of Christmases when you're an elf." He laughed. "You can keep it, as long as you promise me you won't cry about that loser Brian Andrews anymore."

"Thank you, Bernard." Jess leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. "Happy Valentine's Day."

"Happy Valentine's Day, Jessie." Bernard grinned.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/n: Thank you too Keacdragon, Starrat & Barrelracergirl28 for your reviews of Chapter 12! I'm glad to see that this story is not only well liked, but that it is seen as different from other fics! I can't tell you how happy it makes me to hear that my story is enjoyed by others! I just hope I don't let y'all down! Chapter 13 is another bit of fluff, but I'm trying to give Jess & Bernard a reasonable amount of time to fall for each other! So please enjoy Chapter 13, and as always, thank you for favoriting, following, reading and reviewing! **

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><p>"Quintin? Are you in here?" Bernard hollered. He had an idea for something that would require the help of the Research and Development Department.<p>

"Over here Bernard!" The Department head replied from the back of the office. Determined to get what he'd come for, the Head Elf made his way over to Quintin.

"Are you here to tell me my request for time off in the middle of May has been denied?" Quintin frowned.

"No...You put in for time off in the middle of May?" Bernard still hadn't gotten through his large stack of requests yet so he only had himself to blame for not knowing this.

"Wife wants me home to spend time with the kids." Quintin explained. "So if that's not what you're here for, how can I help you?"

"Right," Bernard nodded. "You mentioned before that you've been doing work on elf magic and its effect on human communication devices?"

"It's a side project I've been working on for some time. I wanted to find a way to connect cell phones to the North Pole phone system. So that kids can phone Santa rather than just writing to him."

"Right, how far along are you with that?" The head elf asked with intrigue.

"Well, like I said it's just a side project..." Quintin shrugged. "Let me show you what I've done so far."

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><p>It was a Saturday afternoon, Charlie and Jess were playing a board game in the living room when someone knocked on the back door. The siblings exchanged a look. Whenever someone visited they always used the front door. Jess unfolded her legs from under the coffee table and got to her feet.<p>

"Just stay there Charlie." She ordered her little brother. She made her way over to the back door and opened it cautiously. She breathed a sigh of relief when she found a familiar elf standing in the backyard. "Bernard, you scared us half to death. Come on in..." She opened the door and waited for him to step through.

"My intention was not to scare you." He assured the teenage girl.

"Bernard!" Charlie launched himself at the elf as his sister secured the back door.

"Hey Sport," Bernard greeted him. "Were you guys playing a game?"

"Yeah, Chutes and Ladders. It's one of my favorites." The boy said. "Wanna play with us?"

"Well, I came to talk to Jessie, but maybe I'll have time for one game." The elf replied.

"Okay."Charlie left Bernard and Jess standing by the door so he could reset the board game pieces.

"You came all this way to talk to me?" She asked. Sure she and Bernard had bonded a month back when she needed someone to talk to, but she didn't think he'd want to carry out an actual friendship with her.

"Well, more specifically to give you something." Bernard opened his bag searching for what Quintin had made for him. From his satchel the elf removed a silver snowflake shaped device.

"What does it do?" Jess asked, accepting the device from him.

"Well, according to Quintin, if you plug this end here," He pointed to a tip on the snowflake that stuck out more than the others. "into the headphone jack on your cell phone. You'll be able to call the North Pole whenever you like."

"Really?" A wide smile spread across Jess's face. "Well what number do I dial?"

"The technology is still under development, so as of now it's only connected to my office phone." Bernard said, almost apologetically. "You just push this button here in the center of the snowflake, and that will call my phone."

"But it really works? Like it won't fry my phone or anything?" She looked down at the tiny device in her hand.

"Quintin's team assured me that the elf magic makes it one hundred percent compatible with any cell phone."

"This is amazing, Bernard." Jessie said.

"It's nothing." The head elf waved her off. "I figured Charlie has his snowglobe so now you'll have you Snowflake. It will work no matter where you are, whether you have cell phone service or not."

"This is not nothing. It's...How can I thank you?"

"Give me a call sometime." Bernard shrugged. "You know, so that I know it works." He added as an afterthought. The last thing he wanted was for Jessie to feel uncomfortable about his gift. "It's a project Research and Development have been working at. They want to give kids the chance to Talk to Santa or us elves instead of writing letters."

"Then I'll call you sometime soon." She promised. "Can you stay for a game with Charlie and I or do you have to get back to work?"

"One game can't hurt." The elf said.

* * *

><p>Jessie made good on her promise roughly two weeks later. Following Bernard's instructions She plugged the snowflake into her headphone jack and then pushed the button in the center. Holding the phone up to her ear, she waited for Bernard to pick up.<p>

At the North Pole, Bernard and Santa were in the elf's office talking over some new toy ideas. With a plate of cookies and two steaming mugs of Judy's hot chocolate, they heavily discussed which toys ought to be chosen for the upcoming Christmas production line. Had it not been for Bernard's superior hearing the ringing phone may have gone completely unnoticed.

"Sorry Santa, let me just check the phone," Bernard interrupted the big guy before reaching for his phone. "Bernard the Head Elf speaking?" He questioned the receiver.

"Bernard, it's me Jessie." She cheerily replied.

"Jessie, yes, hi." Bernard looked over at Santa, gauging his reaction.

"Jessie?" Santa repeated. "_My_ Jessie?"

"Yes." The elf answered with his hand over the phone. "Would you like to talk to her?"

"Uh, yeah." Santa held out his hand demandingly. Of course he wanted to talk to his daughter. "Jessie?"

"Daddy?" Jess was surprised to hear her father's voice on the phone.

"Hi Princess, say how does this work?" Santa asked.

"It's this special thing Bernard and Quintin made for my phone. I can call the North Pole whenever I want. This is the first time I'm using it."

"Well this is great Jessie." Santa smiled. "Say let me give you back to Bernard since you called him. I'm just in his office because we were talking over new toy designs."

"Actually Dad, I was calling to talk to you anyway. Mom and Neil wanted to know if you could come down for Easter Dinner." Jess invited.

"Let me check with my right hand man, Bernard?" Santa questioned.

"Hmm?" The elf nodded, he'd already turned his attention back to the toy diagrams on the desk.

"Am I free for Easter Dinner with the kids?" Bernard looked over at his calender before replying.

"Easter's on April 7th this year...Yeah that shouldn't be a problem."

"Jessie, Bernard says it shouldn't be a problem. So tell your mother I'll see you in two weeks."Scott promised his daughter.

"Can't wait to see you and I'm sure Charlie will be thrilled too. We both miss you so much. I'm sorry Daddy but I have some homework, so I have to keep this short." Jess explained. "But uh, before I go, can I talk to Bernard?"

"You...you want to talk to Bernard?" Scott narrowed his eyes at the elf. Without waiting for his daughter to respond, he handed the phone to the elf across the desk. Bernard took the receiver from Santa and noticed his perplexed look.

"Jessie?"

"Bernard, would you like to come to Easter Dinner too?" Jess proposed.

"Well I don't know Jessie...I've never been to an Easter Dinner before..." Bernard mumbled.

"All the more reason to come, please?" She tried not to sound like she was begging, but the elf could hear in her voice that she really wanted him to be there. Even Santa seemed interested in the idea of him tagging along and they all knew Charlie would enjoy it.

"Alright. Yes. Santa and I will both see you on Easter for dinner." Bernard assured her before saying goodbye and hanging up the phone.


	14. Chapter 14

**A/n: Thank you too GracefulWolvesInTheNight, Flowerchild23, Lady Minuialwen, and Chaos Infinity-X for your reviews of Chapter 13! I enjoy reading everyone's opinions and hearing where you think this story will go! Chapter 14 is a short one and it's a bit of a filler, but hopefully it's setting up for something bigger! Thank you to everyone for reading, reviewing, favorting and following! **

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><p>Laura, Jess and Charlie had decorated the entire house for Easter Sunday that year. Everywhere Neil looked there were plastic eggs, cartoon rabbits and other pastel Easter decorations. The logical part of his brain was telling the psychiatrist that his family was overcompensating to impress Scott. The other part of him was saying that it was a holiday and he shouldn't care why his wife and kids wanted to decorate the house so extravagantly.<p>

"Coming through!" Jess yelled from the kitchen. Neil stepped to the side so she could passed by him with a bowl of steaming mashed potatoes. "Look alive Neil." She commanded over her shoulder. Placing the bowl at its designated spot on the table, Jess turned back to her stepdad with a smile. "Seriously Neil are you alright?"

"Hmm? Yeah, I was just thinking." He sighed.

"It's a holiday Neil, try to relax." Laura suggested as she entered the dining room with her own bowl of vegetables. "Can you help me with the ham?" She asked her husband. The two adults left the room to fetch the ham.

"Do you think Dad and Bernard will be here soon?" Charlie asked. He'd accepted the job of setting the table because it was very important to him that the table looked just right. Jess could understand why, not only was this the first time they'd seen Scott in weeks but it was also the first holiday that the Calvins and the Millers would be together.

"I hope..." There was a knock on the back door and Jess ran to answer it. Scott and Bernard were standing in the back deck, each with a bouquets of flowers. Scott greeted his daughter with a hug and a kiss before entering the house. Bernard stood outside awkwardly.

"Um, these are for you." He moved his arm forward stiffly, and offered the bouquet of sunflowers to Jessie. "The other elves informed me that it is polite to bring a gift for the hostess of a dinner party and Santa assured me that Sunflowers were your favorite."

"Thank you, Bernard." Jessie smiled as she accepted the flowers from him. "Why don't you come in?" The teenage girl and the elf joined the rest of the family in the dining room. Neil was already seated at the head of the table, all the Easter dinner fixings lined up before him. Laura was in the kitchen, putting the flowers Scott had given her in a vase. Charlie and his dad were also seated at the table talking. "Have a seat Bernard, I'll put these in water." Jessie joined her mother in the kitchen.

"You know," Laura said as she fluffed her own bouquet of flowers. "I think becoming Santa was the best thing that happened to your father."

"Yeah." Her daughter agreed as she reached for an empty vase. "I think it's been good for all of us."

"Well you and Bernard seem to be getting along well." Laura smiled. She'd finished arranging her own flowers and had begun helping Jess.

"We're just friends Mom." Jess rolled her eyes.

"Well I'm just saying you never invited any of your other _friends_ to dinner before."

"Let's just eat." Jess sighed before dragging her mother into the dining room.

* * *

><p>"That was a delicious meal, Mrs. Miller." Bernard appraised, leaning back in his chair.<p>

"I'd forgotten how good your cooking was!" Scott agreed.

"Well I hope you saved room for dessert!" Jessie said as she stood from her chair.

"Santa always has room for dessert." Bernard joked from the seat next to her.

"This coming from the elf who won the cookie eating contest last week." Scott laughed.

"Cookie eating contest?" Neil and Charlie repeated. "When do you find time to get any work done?" The Psychiatrist asked. Jessie went into the kitchen for a minute before returning with a cheesecake.

"Now, I made this from scratch," The teenage girl said."So if it's terrible...keep it to yourselves." Everyone laughed while dinner plates were cleared and replaced by dessert ones.

"You know Jessie," Bernard said with his second forkful of cheesecake in his mouth. "This is delicious. I hope that when you come to stay with us at the pole you make this again."

"Stay at the pole?" Jessie asked with confusion. Bernard looked across the table to Santa, worried that he'd said something he shouldn't have.

"What Bernard means," Scott set his fork down. "Is that the elves have been hoping you and Charlie would want to spend you summer at the North Pole."

"The whole summer?" Charlie's eyes widened."Oh can we Mom?"

"Well I..." The suggestion had completely blindsided Laura.

"Charlie, I think you should give you mother time to think about it. She's going to miss you and your sister if you're gone for the whole summer." Scott tried to smooth things over. The last thing he wanted was for Laura to say no purely out of spite.

"I don't think it's such a bad idea." Neil said from the other side of the table. "As long as they finish out the school year..."

"Please mom! Please can we go?" Charlie begged.

"Well, what do you think Jess?" Laura looked at her Daughter. She would turn eighteen soon and was old enough to make her own decisions.

"I'd like to go." Jess replied quickly. "I can look after Charlie, and maybe help with the toys again."

"Cecilia would love to have back." Bernard agreed.

"Alright." Laura agreed. "Alright, you can spend the summer at the North Pole."


	15. Chapter 15

**A/n: As always large bucket of thanks to Keacdragon, Chaos Infinity-X, Starrat, TheRealTayler13, Flowerchild23, and Shadow97! OK so here's a few spoilers for anyone who wants to know. Jess and Charlie spend their summer at the pole and Jess will move up there after she turns 18. And I'm, thinking about having 6/7 years between the first and second film but I probably wont cover all of it detail. As far as what happens when Bernard and Jess actually get together...I haven't decided yet...Ok spoilers over. I love all the questions and compliments this story receives, especially the ones telling me how unique it is! So a huge thank you again for favoriting, following, reading and reviewing! Please enjoy Chapter 15!**

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><p>"Reindeer?" Neil observed a pair of reindeer grazing in his backyard. "Laura, did Scott send reindeer to pick up the kids?" Laura joined her husband at the window.<p>

"Yes. He told me it was the easiest way to get them to the North Pole." She said.

"What about the sleigh?" He asked looking away from the yard.

"The Sleigh's too conspicuous." Jess said. She and Charlie had just entered the room.

"Oh of course." Neil replied sarcastically. Sarcasm wasn't part of his usual list of verbal tropes, but Scott's current occupation often generated more questions than it answered.

"Well, we'd better go." Jess supposed. With large duffel bag slung across her chest she held out Charlie's backpack to him. The recently turned ten year old quickly put it on and said goodbye to Laura and Neil. "Take my phone for the summer." The teenage girl forced the phone into her mother's hands. "It won't work at the pole anyway, and it's the only way you'll be able to reach us." Jess explained how to used the snowflake device that was attached to the phone before saying goodbye and meeting Charlie in the yard.

"Ready to go Charlie?" She asked her little brother who was already sitting on Comet's back with a makeshift saddle from the elves. He nodded so she swung her right leg over the back of the second reindeer. "Ok Comet, Dasher, Take us to the North Pole!"

Bernard was pacing nervously outside the stables at the North Pole. He wished he'd gone with Comet and Dasher to collect Jessie and Charlie. So many things could go wrong, but Santa insisted that they would be fine. Biting his lip and walking past the stable entrance once more, Bernard continued to wait. The sound of shuffling snow could be heard in the distance as a chubby elf walked towards his superior. Bernard recognized the face of his number two elf as far back as the workshop entrance. It was Curtis, the keeper of the Christmas Handbook.

"Bernard!" Curtis shouted as he neared the stable entrance. He was short, even for elf, Bernard noted. The round silver glasses he wore somehow made him look even smaller. A young elf at the ripe age of eight hundred and ninety three, Curtis took his duty as Keeper of the Handbook a little _too _serious for the head elf. He was always ranting about this rule or that rule not being observed at the pole and was no doubt on his way over to lecture Bernard about another guideline he'd neglected in his thousand year reign in charge of the other elves.

"Curtis." Bernard sighed. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"I was in the kitchen talking to Abby and Judy." Curtis explained in a huff. "They said Santa's kids are coming to stay at the North Pole. Is this true?"

"Yes Cutris, it's true. Please enlighten me on which Christmas bylaw I've over looked." The head elf rolled his eyes. Curtis frequently forgot that the previous Keeper of the Christmas Handbook had been Bernard himself.

"Page one thousand three hundred, article five subcategory E." Curtis rattled off while flipping through the pages of the Christmas Handbook. "_In the interest of preserving Christmas magic for children around the world, no human child shall permanently reside at the North Pole._" He didn't look up as he continued to read aloud the next section. "Article five Subcategory F_: In compliance with the above subcategory, should Santa Claus have any child slash children..._"

"_Should Santa Claus have any Child slash children born outside of the North Pole, they must permanently reside elsewhere until their eighteenth birthday._" Bernard recited the book of Christmas verbatim. "I know Curtis, I've read the book. And I suppose you neglected to read subcategory G which states_: A human child_ parenthesis _not born within the North Pole's borders_ close parenthesis _shall be allowed temporary residency at the North Pole for no greater than five months_!" Curtis read over subcategory while Bernard practically shouted it at him.

"Oh, you're right." The younger elf frowned. He knew Bernard hated when he approached him about the rule book, but Curtis was just trying to impress him. Everyone looked up to Bernard. He always knew the right thing to do and the right thing to say. He was hard to surprise. Bernard watch his second in command frown down at the Christmas handbook. Curtis had come all the way out there to try and help and all he'd done was shout. It wasn't Curtis' fault he was worried about Charlie and Jessie making up to the pole safely.

"Charlie and Jessie are only staying during their summer break, which is well under the five month allowance." Bernard promised. "And Jessie turns eighteen in the middle of October anyway." Despite Bernard's assurance that all of the pole's rules had been followed, Curtis still looked displeased. "Look, they should be arriving any minute." The head elf explained impatiently. "Would you like to stay and meet them?"

"You don't mind?" Curtis' eyes widened excitedly. Bernard rarely let him sit in on diplomatic greetings. No matter how informal this one may be, it was still an honor.

"Well you'll have to meet them eventually..." Was all Bernard could say as Comet and Dasher appeared in the sky.

The reindeer landed smoothly just a few feet from where Bernard and Curtis stood. Jessie jumped off of Dasher's back and helped Charlie off of Comet before running towards her best friend. Bernard and Curtis had been carefully walking through the snow when the teenage girl attacked the head elf. Jess had flung her arms out to hug Bernard, but didn't account for the additional weight of her duffle bag and Bernard wasn't expecting for Jessie to throw herself at him which caused him to lose his footing. As a result, Bernard topped to the ground with Jessie flopping down on top of him.

"I'm so sorry!" Jess apologized. She leapt to her feet and offered Bernard a hand. Curtis gasped as Bernard stood up. The typically poised elf was doubled over with laughter.

"Are...are you alright?" The head elf managed to cough out through his laughter.

"Yes," Jessie promised, now laughing herself. "Are you..."

"Oh, I'm-I'm fine." Bernard breathed. After a second or two the laughter subsided and he was able to greet Charlie with a straight face. "Hey there Sport, I see you made it here okay." He ruffled the little boy's hair.

"Yeah. It was real fun riding Comet." Charlie grinned.

"Well, I'll tell the stable elves that you can take him out for a ride whenever you want, if you promised to stay in the center of town." Bernard replied.

"Really? That'd be great!" Charlie smiled before giving Bernard a hug too.

"Hrrr-hmm." Curtis cleared his throat to remind the others that he was there.

"Right," Bernard nodded at him in acknowledgement. "Jessie, Charlie, I'd like you to meet my second in command, and the elfish Keeper of the Christmas Handbook, Curtis. Curtis, these are Santa's children Jessica and Charlie Calvin." Jess and Charlie politely shook hands with Curtis.

"It's nice to meet you both." Curtis smiled. "How long will you be staying exactly?"

"Don't answer him." Bernard ordered Jessie. "Curtis, don't you have some important work to do?" The head elf leaned forward just a little so he appeared to tower over Curtis.

"No." Curtis shrugged, not taking the hint.

"Well, I have to show Jess and Charlie to their rooms. So why don't youget dasher and Comet back into their stalls." Curtis then understood that he'd overstayed his welcome.

"Sure things boss." The younger elf nodded. "Jessica, Charlie, it was nice meeting you!"

"Nice to meet you too Curtis!" Jess replied as he collected the two reindeer and disappeared inside the stable.

"Let me take that bag from you..." Bernard held his hands out for Jessie's duffel. "Actually I insist, I can't have you taking out any of my elves like you did me."

"I thought you said you were fine!" Jess laughed, handing her bag to him just the same.


	16. Chapter 16

**A/n: Thank you to Keacdragon, Starrat, And Chaos Infinity-X for your reviews of Chapter 15! I wanted to bring Curtis into things early so that it makes more sense when he becomes more heavily involved. I don't know if I have time to get anything new out in the next few days, so I wanted to put 16 out for you guys to enjoy! It's a bit of fluff, and maybe cliche, but Jess & Bernard share their first kiss! Can't wait to see what ya'll think! Thanks as always for reading, favorting, following and reviewing! (p.s. Thanks Chaos Infinity-X for your suggestion, I'll keep that in mind. It's kind of the direction I was leaning towards as well.) **

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><p>Jess yawned and stretched her hands high above her head. She glanced at a clock that hung on the wall, it was just past two in the morning. Three weeks of the summer had already passed and most nights she slept just fine, but occasionally there was a night here or there where she just felt restless. The guest room that had been assigned to her was nice enough. A green paper boarder of jingle bells surrounded the bright red painted walls. There was a dresser for her to store her clothes in and a floor length mirror tucked into one corner. Someone, probably Bernard, had also put an easel and a set of paints in another corner. The silky sheets, and warm fluffy comforter were probably the most comfortable ones Jess had come in contact with, so it wasn't the bed that kept her up at night either.<p>

Whatever the cause, Jess found that on nights where it was difficult to sleep, a short walk around the workshop usually did the trick. Peeling back the sheets, she tucked her feet into her warm fuzzy slippers. There was a soft, green bathrobe hanging by the door, which she wrapped around herself before stepping out into the hall. The hallway that housed the guest bathrooms led directly to the main floor of the workshop. Once on the main floor, Jessie usually liked to have a look at the new toys the elves had finished that day. On this night in particular she noticed something unusual. Bernard's office lights were on. There was no way he was still working at that time of night, the other elves had ended their work day hours ago. Climbing the stairs to the upper level, Jess decided she'd turn off the lights in Bernard's office before returning to her room for the night. Jess swung the door to Bernard's office open wide and she was surprised to see that he was actually still in there.

"Oh, I'm sorry." She mumbled quickly. The door began to shut but Bernard called out to her.

"Wait Jessie, stay. That is...I mean if you want to..." He was overtired and didn't really know what he was saying. Or so he thought at the time.

"Well, I didn't mean to disturb you." Jess said as she stepped into the office and closed the door. "It's just, I couldn't sleep, and I saw your lights were on, so..."

"No, it's okay." Bernard assured her. "I have trouble sleeping at night sometimes too. So I come up here and I-I work." He laughed.

"Is that why there's a cot in your office?" Jess questioned. She jabbed her thumb in the direction of the object in question. Last Christmas when she'd seen it, she just assumed he used it during the busy season.

"Yeah...Sometimes I do such a good job of working myself to sleep, that I can't make it back home." He admitted embarrassed.

"I usually just walk around the workshop." Jess confessed. "I hope that's okay. I don't ever touch anything or mess with the production line..."

"It's alright, feel free to walk the floor whenever you want. You might even be able to improve a few things. You know, I've have enough work for one night..."

"I'm sorry, let me get out of your hair..." Jessie turned to leave, but Bernard stepped out from behind his desk.

"Before you go, would you like to join me for some hot cocoa and cookies?"

"Yeah." Jess smiled. "That sounds great." She reached out and laced the fingers of her right hand between the fingers of Bernard's left. Giving his hand a comforting squeeze, she looked up at him. "Lead the way, Mr. Head-Elf."

Still holding Jessie's hand, Bernard guided her to the main kitchen where Judy's special recipe for hot chocolate was served on tap. Despite the fact that the kitchen elves had all gone home for the night, the lights were left on 24/7. Cookies, other desserts and even select meals were kept in food warmers over night for midnight snacking.

"So mugs are here." Bernard pointed to a wall where hundreds of pewter mugs hung from pegs. "But the question is," He dropped Jess' hand to search the nearby shelves. "Where do we keep the plates?"

"You mean to tell me you don't know where the plates are?" Jessie teased. "I thought you knew _everything_."

"Well," Bernard sighed as he continued to look around. "I hardly ever eat during normal meal times. Abby or another kitchen elf usually brings food to my office. And when I eat late at night, which is very rarely, I don't take a plate...Ah hah!" The head elf had found what he was looking for and slid one white ceramic plate off the shelf it was housed on. "So what's your favorite kind of cookie?" He asked walking towards the cookie warmers. "I'm partial to chocolate chip myself."

"Sugar cookies are my favorite." Jess told him before sliding two mugs off the wall. Bernard stacked a small pile of chocolate chip and another of sugar cookies onto the same plate, before putting the plate down on the counter. He helped Jess fill the mugs with hot chocolate and the two began to enjoy their snack. "This was a good idea." The teenage girl decided as she bit from her cookie.

"Definitely." Bernard agreed, sipping from his mug.

"Oh...Bernard you've got a little something on your..." It was more than a little something. Bernard's whole upper lip was covered in a hot chocolate moustache. Jess searched the immediate area and found a stack of napkins next to their plate of cookies. Using a clean napkin she wiped the chocolate stain off her best friend's lip.

"Thanks." Bernard typically didn't like to be touched, but there was something about the gentle flourish in Jessie's movements that was comforting. She was leaning against the steel kitchen counter, with a bright smile on her face. He stared at her wondering what was it about her that was so fascinating to him. Jess looked back at him, not sure herself what she'd done to attract the attention of the world's most important elf. Somehow, when her green eyes locked sights with his pair of light brown ones, something clicked in each of their brains. The teenage girl and Santa's head elf leaned forward involuntarily.

Bernard and Jess' first kiss didn't last longer than five seconds. The instant their lips found each other's, someone else entered the kitchen. Panicked, Bernard tugged Jessie into a nearby food pantry. They listened and waited for the kitchen to become vacant once more.

Santa had decided to visit the kitchen after a typical late night cookie craving. He'd seen Bernard's light on but when he'd gone to invite the elf along, he wasn't in his office. Naturally the father of Christmas just assumed he'd find his right hand man already in the kitchen. That's why he wasn't the least bit surprised to find two practically full mugs of cocoa and a plate of cookies already laid out on the counter. Obviously Bernard and Curtis had been up late working when they'd decided to have a midnight snack.

"I don't mind the snacking boys," Santa said picking up the two mugs and bringing them to the wash station. "But you've got to clean up after yourselves." Pilfering the plate of cookies for himself, and armed with a fresh mug of cocoa, Scott left the kitchen and headed back towards his room.

"I can't believe I'm one of those girls who hides from my dad in the closet so he doesn't see me with a boy." Jess fretted as she and Bernard stepped back into the kitchen.

"Technically it's a food pantry." Bernard hissed. "And I haven't been a boy for fifteen hundred years."

"I...well...you know what I mean." Jess fumbled. "I'm sorry. I'll just... go back to my room now."

"Let me walk you back. Santa might still be out there, and I can hear much farther than you." He offered his hand out to he and Jess accepted it. Bernard walked her back to her room before sleepily flopping onto the cot in his office.


	17. Chapter 17

**A/n: Thank you too Flowerchild23, Starrat, Keacdragon, Chaos Infinity-X, and the one guest who review Chapter 16! I'm thinking there will be three or four more chapters before we get into _Santa Clause 2! _Hopefully I can get those three/four out before Christmas! So please enjoy Chapter 17! Thanks for reading, Favoriting, Following and reviewing! **

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><p>The next morning, Jess was working at a painting station in the doll center. She decided the amount of attention painting doll faces required<em> should<em> be enough to keep her mind from thinking of Bernard. Charlie sat on a stool next to her. He was testing a new handheld video game for Quintin and his team. Bernard himself was also doing his best _not_ to think about Jessie. It was difficult to do when every division of the workshop, from Cecilia in woods to Nigel in instruments, wanted to know when it was their turn to work with Jessica Calvin; the best painter at the North Pole. After circling the doll center for a third time that morning, the head elf decided he'd be more use somewhere else. His resolve was to check on the reindeer in the stable, but before ducking out of the workshop, he slipped a note under Jessie's elbow. She probably wouldn't have noticed the note if Charlie hadn't pointed it out a few minutes later.

"Hey what's that?" Her brother pointed to a yellowish piece of folded paper. Jess looked down to where he'd indicated and saw her name written in a familiar, swirly print.

"It's a note from Bernard." Jess answered before slipping it in her pocket.

"Well what's it say?" Charlie asked.

"None of your business." Jess replied, sticking her tongue out at him.

"You're weird." Charlie giggled at her. "Is it a love note?" He said it so seriously, without an hint of teasing.

"What? Where would you get an idea like that?" Jess demanded.

"Something I heard Quintin and Judy whispering about. They said Bernard loves you." Jess rolled her eyes at Charlie.

"You shouldn't listen to other people's conversations." She told him. "And you definitely shouldn't repeat rumors you hear either."

"Whatever." Charlie shrugged. "I've got to bring this back to Quintin, it still has a few bugs..." He leapt off his stool and walked away. With Charlie out of sight, Jess took out her note an read it over.

_Jessie, I'd like to talk to you. Meet me in my office. Same time as yesterday. -B_

Folding the note up again, she looked to the large clock that hung in the workshop. It was only eleven. Fourteen hours before two AM. It was going to be the longest fourteen hours of her young life.

"Hey Princess!" Santa greeted his daughter. Jess looked over her shoulder to see Scott walking towards the doll center. "Wow that looks great!" He appraised, lifting a finished doll from her workstation. "Everyone keeps telling me what a great job you do, I guess they're right. You know you're suppose to on vacation."

"Yeah, I know." Jess agreed. "I actually have a lot of fun painting the toys. Plus it helps you and Bernard out, so I'm happy to do it. We have a rotating system where I work through every department's painting team." Scott set the doll back down where he'd found it.

"I don't suppose you could take time out of your rotating system to hang out with your old man." He looked down at her.

"I always have time for you, Dad." Jess promised. "What'd you have in mind?"

"Well I was thinking maybe we'd collect Charlie and the three of us could go see a movie?" Santa suggested.

"You guys have a movie theater up here?" This was the first Jess had heard of this.

"Are you kidding me? You've been here a month, Bernard and Curtis never mentioned the movie theater in the center of town? They know how much you love movies..."

"Well let's go!" Jessie insisted. A movie would be the perfect distraction for at least an hour or so.

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><p>After spending the rest of the afternoon with Charlie and her Dad, Jess was finally able to get her run in with Bernard the night before out of her mind. The head elf in question had avoided her for most of the day, and she was starting to wonder if the whole event had just been a dream. Jessie may have even believed it to be a dream, had she not found a note in her pocket before turning in for the night. It fell out of her jeans as she changed into pajamas. Two AM was still five hours away, but the workshop had been cleared of workers already so Jess didn't see any reason why she couldn't sneak up to Bernard's office.<p>

Bernard wasn't shocked or stunned when he heard a knock on his office door. Sure it was quarter past nine and most elves had concluded work for the day, but Curtis, Judy or someone else often came to invite him to their social gatherings. He typically refused of course, especially after June first. There was simply too much work to be done. But perhaps this time he'd say yes, if only to clear his mind before meeting with Jessie.

"Come in!" he invited the knocker. He _was_ surprised to watch Jessie slip into the office and close the door silently behind herself. Maybe that was the reason he was so draw to her. From the first day they'd met, she had this uncanny ability to catch him off guard. She'd wanted to work in the workshop rather than tour it. She felt comfortable talking to him rather than her mother. Then there was her recent arrival that had sent the pair of them tumbling in to snow.

Jessie was still standing by the door, unsure if she'd done the right thing by coming to his office early. Bernard didn't look mad though. If anything, he was pensive about something. She'd seen his features form that thoughtful face before. Whenever another elf approached him with a problem, he'd stop and think for a long while before making the right decision. Maybe that's what had drawn her to him in the first place. He was calm, controlled and calculating. It was a nice contrast to her very uncertain childhood.

"I'm sorry, should I leave?" She asked.

"No, let's talk." Bernard said seriously. Rather than move to a chair as he'd expected, Jessie crossed the room and sat on his plushly decorated cot. _When in Rome_, he grumbled to himself before sitting a cubic present's length away from her. "Jessie, I enjoy spending time with you." He managed to get out.

"And I enjoy spending time with you." She assured him.

"Listen about last night..."

"So last night..."They both began to say at the same time. They each laughed at their own awkwardness.

"Do you realize I'm two thousand four hundred and eighty-two years older than you?" Bernard sighed.

"Well I knew it was at least a few hundred years but, now that you mention it, a couple thousand is far too much of an age gap." Jessie was teasing him, but the frown on Bernard's face suggested he couldn't tell.

"I should have known." He nodded. "A millennium is considered a sizable gap even among Elves."

"Bernard!" She shoved his shoulder playfully, but her expression was serious. "I was only joking. I don't care how old you are! I love be around you and I...I couldn't stop think about you this morning."

"Really? Because _I _couldn't stop thinking about you. I tried everything! I even ate lunch with _Curtis._" If socializing with other elves was Bernard's least favorite activity, eating lunch with Curtis was like walking into the lion's den.

"Well I'm sorry you had to endure that." She joked. "He's really not so bad is he?"

"No, he's just so...enthusiast. Let's not talked about Curtis anymore..."

"I have a better idea, let's not talk at all." Jessie leaned forward and kissed Bernard. She expected him to pull away, but he didn't. Instead he used his hand to cup her chin. Their second kiss was a vast improvement over the first.


	18. Chapter 18

**A/n: Thank you to Starrat, Shadow97, keacdragon, Flowerchild23, Lady Minuialwen, GracefulWolvesInTheNight for your reviews of Chapter 17! (Shadow97- I'm thinking I don't want to involve the council members because I think it's a sort of north pole only issue.) As always i'm glad to hear that this story is like and well received! Please enjoy Chapter 18, and continue reading, reviewing, favorting and following!**

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><p>"Jessie Calvin, Please report to the head elf's office!" Santa's voiced called through the loudspeakers of the workshop.<p>

"Go ahead," Cecilia encouraged from her seat a few workstations down. "I'll finish that Dollhouse, you can start a new one when you get back."

"I'll get back as soon as I can." Jess promised before climbing the nearest staircase. Two weeks had passed since Jessie and Bernard begun seeing each other in secret. She worried that Santa may have figured it out and wanted to speak privately to the two of them. The teenage girl breathed a sigh of relief when she entered the office to see Charlie, Scott and Bernard all crowded around the phone. Laura's voice was coming from the machine as she talked animatedly to her extended family.

"Hey, Laura, hang on just a second, Jessie's here. Jess, your mother said she and Neil have some big news for us." Scott explained, pulling his daughter toward the phone.

"Hi Jess!" Laura and Neil's voices emitted from the phone.

"Hi Mom, hi Neil." Jess greeted them. "Dad said you have big news?"

"We do!" Her mother promised. "Can everyone hear me?"

"Yes!" Charlie, Jess, Bernard and Scott all assured her.

"Neil and I, are having another baby!" Immediately cheers and cries of celebration could be heard through the room. Laura waited for noise to die down before continuing. "Now I know you were planning on spending the rest of the summer together but Jess, Charlie we could really use your help at home..." Jessie looked up at Bernard. Going home early wouldn't just mean leaving her father, it meant leaving her...Bernard.

"Will the baby be there when we get home? "Charlie asked. He was sitting on top of Bernard's desk swinging his legs and waiting for someone to answer him.

"Say uh, Laura, why don't you give us all a minute to process this? I'll talked it over with the kids. You can call us back around dinner time?" Scott asked.

"Yeah, that would be fine. We'll talk to you later!" Laura and Neil said goodbye and Bernard hung up the phone.

"Dad, where are Mom and Neil going to get another baby from?" Charlie looked up a Santa quizzically.

"Oh look at that, it's lunch time!" Jessie remarked after glancing down at an imaginary watch on her wrist.

"Jessie, wait!" Bernard sprinted out from behind his desk. "I'll join you." Jess and Bernard ditched Santa, leaving him alone to answer Charlie's questions about babies.

* * *

><p>With the sex talk successfully avoided, Bernard and Jessie decided to catch some lunch anyway. With two silver trays of food in hand they found an empty table in the mess hall.<p>

"So, how do you feel about having another little brother or sister?" Bernard questioned his female counterpart.

"Mom and Neil must be happy." Jess answered. "Neil doesn't have any kids of his own and mom _loves_ babies."

"Why do I sense there's a but hidden somewhere in there?" Bernard asked.

"_But_," Jess replied. "What happens to us, when I go home?"

"Jessica, Bernard! Just the people I was looking for!" Curtis had entered to mess hall, the over-sized Christmas Handbook between his grasp.

"What is it now Curtis?" Bernard demanded. He was trying his best not to shout, but the number two elf couldn't have picked a worse time to interrupt him.

"I know." Curtis whispered back.

"You know what, Curtis?" Jessica asked him, sensing Bernard's blood about to boil.

"I know about the two of you." Curtis repeated impatiently. "Don't bother denying it. Two weeks ago, Santa mentioned to me something about leaving a mess in the kitchens. I thought it was suspicious because I hadn't been in the kitchen that night. Then a few days after that, I saw Jessica sneaking into your office..."

"I wasn't sneaking!" Jess tried to argue.

"What is your point Curtis?" Bernard snapped. "If you've known this all along, why have you waited so long to mention something?"

"Because, I've been trying to find a solution to your problem." The younger elf explained, thumping his handbook on the desk.

And what problem would that be?" The head elf asked. "Page one thousand three hundred five, Article nine: _In cases concerning romantic relationships between mythical beings and mortals, one of two guidelines must be adhered to..."_

"Let me see that." Bernard spun the book around and read the passage for himself. The scrawled script of the handbook made it difficult for Jessie to read upside down so she waited for Bernard to explain. He looked up from the handbook panic stricken. If we want to continue seeing each other once you turn eighteen, either I've got to give up being an elf or you have to become one."

"We've got to talk to my Dad." Jess insisted. "C'mon you two!" She scooped up the Christmas handbook and walked out of the mess hall.

* * *

><p>Scott was in his office reading letters from kids when Bernard, Jessie and Curtis burst in.<p>

Hey guys, take it easy." Santa demanded. "What's got you all so flustered?"

"Daddy," Jess threw the Christmas Handbook down on his giant oak desk. "Bernard and I have something to tell you."

"We've been seeing each other Sir, romantically that is." Bernard stepped forward and took Jessie's hand.

"What?" like Curtis, Scott had known this for weeks, but he wasn't letting his daughter off the hook easily. She waited too long to tell him, and he was going to have some fun. "That's disgusting! Jessica, Bernard like...fifty times your age!"

"Actually Santa, he's almost one hundred and_ thirty nine _times her age." Cutis supplied. Jess and Bernard glared over their shoulders at him. He wasn't helping their case one bit.

"Santa," Bernard looked back over at his boss. I know this may come as a surprise to you, but Jessie and I have grown to care for...you're laughing? Why are you laughing?" The elves diplomatic tone changed to a slightly insulted one.

"Because, I'm Santa! I know everything!" Scott chortled. "You two really thought I didn't know? I knew you liked each other since you had Quintin commission that thing for her phone!"

"But if you knew...why didn't you say anything?" Jessie asked.

"I was waiting for you to come to me like you did with all your other boyfriends!" Her father answered. "You used to tell me everything, but now..."

"Dad! I still tell you everything!" His daughter insisted. "You're first person we've told!"

"Second!" Curtis piped up from the back of the room.

"Curtis!" Bernard warned.

"What I don't understand, is what Curtis has to do with this..." Scott knew Bernard wasn't fond of the younger elf, so he didn't understand why he was involved in the conversation.

"Because of this..." Jess flipped through the Christmas handbook to the page Curtis had shown her and Bernard earlier. "Once I turn eighteen, if Bernard and I want to keep seeing each other, he'd have to stop being an elf."

"Or Jessie would have to become one." Bernard added in.

Okay, so what are you going to do?" Scott asked.

"Well I can't become an elf!" Jess snorted.

"What's wrong with being an elf?" Bernard snapped."I'm not renouncing my job to become human!"

"Because humans are so terrible?" Jess growled. "That's why you run a toy factory for _human _children! You know what, Forget I said anything." She slammed the Christmas Handbook closed and forced it into Curtis' hands. "Dad, I want to go home." She stormed out of the office and started packing immediately.


	19. Chapter 19

Scott escorted Jessie and Charlie back to the Miller's house. The two kids spent the rest of their summer helping Neil and Laura clean the house and prepare for the baby. Neil and his wife learned early on not to question Jess about exactly what had happened between her and Bernard. Even Charlie knew not to ask many questions about his favorite elf.

The new school year started in September and Jess put all of her energy into her last year of high school. She was directing the School play, a photographer for the yearbook, and tutoring freshman English. Between helping her mother and her numerous after school activities, Jess didn't had time to go out on dates. She didn't really want to either. There was only one person, one elf, that she'd ever love.

October came and went, and with it Jessie's eighteenth birthday. The rest of the year passed on in much the same way. Scott, Charlie and Jess did deliver the world's presents together on Christmas Eve but when they stopped off in the North Pole, Bernard didn't emerge from his office the entire time. On February 12 Charlie and Jess' half-sister Lucy was born. Charlie turned eleven in May, and Jessie's High School Graduation was scheduled on June sixth.

The Naughty and Nice List office not only housed the famous list, but also a large surveillance system that allowed Santa and his elves to watch the children, and adults, of the world. That's how the list was compose. N&N elves would watch the monitors for any behavior that was particularly naughty or nice. The conductor of said behavior found themselves on the corresponding list. Then it was up to Santa to check the list twice for corrections.

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><p>June sixth wasn't a particularly productive day in the workshop. Many of the workshop elves were still on their vacations. Sure there will still plenty of day to day activities that required Bernard's attention, but lately he'd found himself visiting the N&amp;N department more frequently. He'd taken to tuning a free monitor to a familiar home in the Northern Hemisphere. That morning he watched Jessie eat breakfast with her graduation cap on. Then he watched her carry Lucy in her arms and laugh when the baby played with her graduation tassel.<p>

"You know, most father's would shoot a guy for stalking their daughter." Bernard practically jumped out of his skin when he heard Santa's voice behind him.

"Santa! I-um...It's not what it looks like." The head elf fumbled for an explanation.

"Really?" Scott feigned surprise. "Because Curtis told me you've been up here monopolizing this monitor for two hours."

"Curtis." Bernard hissed his name like a cartoon villain would his nemesis. He turned to give the Keeper of the handbook a piece of his mind, when Santa grabbed the back of his shirt.

"Hold on there, firecracker." Santa insisted. "Curtis was just worried about you. We all are. Why don't you just go t_alk _to her instead of watching her on a TV screen."

"She doesn't want to see me." Bernard promised his boss.

"That's not what it sounded like when she called me." Bernard's opened his mouth to question how she'd called him, but Scott held up his hand. "You're not the only one who can ask Quitin's team for special tech. She called last week to remind me about her graduation tonight. Why don't you come with me?"

"I don't know Santa." Bernard shrugged. "It doesn't seem appropriate for me to show up like this..."

"Well ho-ho-no! Not like that!" The big guy agreed. You'll stick out like a sore thumb!"

* * *

><p>Jessie's High School held their graduation in the gymnasium. All the future graduates sat in folding chairs on the center of the gym. Family and Friends of the students sat in the two rows of bleachers that lined the walls. Charlie, Laura, Neil and Baby Lucy sat two rows from the front and it was easy enough for Scott to find them.<p>

"Dad, who's that?" Charlie asked when he saw his dad being followed by a high schooler.

"It's me, Charlie!" Scott's new friend laughed. "Do I really look unrecognizable?"

"Oh my god, Bernard?" Laura squinted from her seat. The head elf looked completely different in human clothes. He was wearing a starched white shirt and pressed black pants. His whole look was completed with a sneakers and a black bow tie.

"Where are your elf clothes?" Charlie demanded as Santa and Bernard sat next to him.

"He left them at the pole, Sport." Scott explained. "We want him to blend it okay?"

"Okay!" Charlie pretended to zip his mouth, so his dad and Bernard knew the secret was safe with him.

After the ceremony concluded, Jess ran over to her family with a smile on her face. Her white graduation gown flowed behind her like robe as she bounced towards the people she loved most in the word. She hugged a crying Laura and a sleeping Lucy. She then embraced Neil and Charlie before wrapping her arms around her father.

"I'm proud of you Princess." Scott said as her hugged her back. "I brought you a graduation present." He stepped to the side to review Bernard. There wasn't a second of hesitation before Jessie lunged forward and hugged her favorite elf. She rested her chin on his shoulder and held him tight.

"I'm so sorry!" She whispered.

"No I'm sorry." He whispered back. "What I said at the pole was completely out of line. I'd give up anything to be with you."

"And I'd do anything for you." Jess promised. She took her head off his shoulder and held him out at arm's length. "The past ten months without you has been the w_orst_. I had a lot of time to think about it and I decided I want to move to the north pole and I want to become an elf."

"While I appreciate the sentiment Jessie, we'd have to get married for you to become an elf." Bernard explained. "I'm willing to do anything for you Jessica Calvin, but I don't want you to.."

"I do." She interrupted him.

"Huh?" The head elf looked down at the girl that he love.

"I do." Jessie repeated. "That's what you say when you want to get married." Bernard bent down and kiss his future wife on the lips.


	20. Chapter 20

**A/n: Thank you to keacdragon, Starrat, Chaos Infinity-X and Applejax XD for your reviews of Chapter 19! Here's a little pre-wedding fluff chapter! Jess and Bernard's wedding will happen either during Chapter 21 or 22! After I'll probably flash forward to the events of _Santa Clause 2 _complete with the Misses Clause and DeSantafication! Haven't decided if I want Jess to stay at the pole or go home with Scott during the second movie because I've thought of great plots for both. I guess we'll see! Please enjoy the Chapter 20! Thanks again for Reading, Following, Favoriting and Reviewing! **

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><p>Bernard's house, though considered expansive when compared to the other elf homes, was much more intimate than a typical human's house. It had a total of four very small rooms. A bedroom with an attached bathroom, a kitchen, and a sitting room. He always felt like it was a bit much, but now that Jessie would be moving in he wondered if it would be enough for her. If <em>he<em> would be enough for her. Dr. and Mrs Miller's house was pretty big, there was room for everyone there. In contrast Bernard's house yielded no room for privacy. The head elf chewed nervously on his bottom lip as he guided a blindfolded Jessie through the snow.

"If you hate it or it's too small, we can move." He assured his future wife. He didn't know where they'd move. He already owned the largest elf house in the arctic circle, but he loved Jessie and would do anything to make her happy. He'd build her a house if he had to. She was willing to give up her whole life to be with him.

What he didn't know, was that Jessie would have been perfectly happy sleeping on the cot in his office as long as it meant she got to be with him. The girl who wanted a "normal" family finally understood what the word family actually meant. It didn't matter if she lived in a small elf house or on the moon, as long as she was loved by Her parents, Charlie, Lucy, Neil and Bernard. Jess laughed when she felt Bernard grip her waist anxiously. He loved her laugh, it sounded so much like the chimes on Santa's sleigh.

"Bernard, I'm sure your house is wonderful." Jessie whispered. She listened to the bells around his neck jingle as they trudged further into the snow.

"Well if nothing else, it's clean." Bernard promised. They stopped walking and Jess felt the blindfold slip off her face. She opened her eyes to see they were standing in front of a small Christmas red home. The outside was decorated with twinkling icicle lights and a giant wreath on the front door. Curious to see if the inside was as nice as the outside, Jess instinctively reached for the handle but her arm froze midway. "Here," Bernard put Jessie's suitcase down so that he could riffle through his brown satchel. From the bag he pulled out a large gold skeleton key and handed it to his fiancé. "Go on, it's your house too." He encouraged her.

Jess put the key in the door's keyhole and turned it. The tumblers click and the front door opened. Jess stepped into the house's sitting room. It was decorated with red walls and a green carpet. A dark red loveseat was pushed against one wall, the rest of the room was filled with bookshelves.

"This house was a given to me when_ I_ was Keeper of the book." Bernard explained as he stepped by her side.

"Keeper of the..." Jess began to laugh.

"Well I wasn't _always_ head elf." Bernard frowned.

"That's not why I'm laughing!" Jessie gasped. "I'm just picturing you running around with that giant book in your hands chasing the head elf down and telling him everything he was doing wrong!"

"I wasn't...I didn't..." Bernard tried to objected but truth be told that's exactly what he'd been like as Keeper of the Christmas Handbook. He'd do anything to impress Conroy, the head elf of the time.

"You're so serious!" Jess stood on the tips of her toes and kissed him. "The house is wonderful. Least what I've seen so far."

"I, um, I cleaned off a few shelves for you." He pointed out a few empty shelves on a nearby bookcase. "And in the kitchen..." He took Jessie's hand and dragged her into the next room. The kitchen was bright and mostly white with peppermint stripped wallpaper. A large picture window occupied a majority of the west wall. Under the window was a rack of paints in every shade. Bernard had even moved Jessie's easel from her guest room in the workshop to his kitchen. "It's the nicest view in the house."

"Thank you." Jess flung her arms around her future husband.

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><p>June subsided into July as Jess and Bernard made their final wedding plans. Their tiny kitchen table was plastered with seating charts, invitation samples and menus. Jessie was staring out the window watching the elves play in the town square. She was suppose to be choosing a final template for the invitations but none of them carried the same finesse as Bernard's personal calligraphy. She was about to take a last look at the invitation samples when her favorite elf came stomping through the snow and into the house.<p>

"Honey, I'm home!" Bernard bellowed sarcastically. He stomped his feet dramatically to remove snow from his boots.

"What's got you in such a bad mood?" His fiancé questioned. She leaned on the doorway that separated the kitchen from the sitting room.

"Curtis." Bernard hissed. Jess rolled her eyes. She should have known. "What's he done now?"

"He continues to pester me about how we're already behind our quota for this time of year and _our_ wedding may single handedly ruin Christmas for everyone!" Bernard threw himself on the couch with a childish frown.

"Are you sure that's what he's actually upset about?" Jessie chuckled. She sat next to him on the loveseat and leaned her head on his shoulder. If she'd been anyone else, Bernard would have snapped at Jess and demanded a more specific reply. But this was the woman he loved, so instead he just leaned over, kissed her forehead and waited for her to explain. "Well we've told everyone that Charlie's going to be the ring bearer, and Lucy's going to be the flower girl. I asked Mom to be my maid of honor since she has to walk with Lucy anyway, Dad and Neil are both walking me down the aisle but did you notice we're missing a crucial part of the wedding party?"

"Niklaus the Notary already agreed to conduct the ceremony, so I'd say everything's covered." Bernard shrugged.

"What about your Best Man, Bernard?" She reminded. "You were suppose to pick one weeks ago!"

"You think Curtis wants to be in our wedding?" Bernard snorted. "Why would he..."

"Curtis practically worships you!" Jessie looked up and found a blank expression on his face. "You've really never noticed? That's the reason he follows you around. It's why he's always asking you questions! He looks up to you, Bernard. Just talk to him, okay?"

"Fine." Bernard caved. "I'll talk to him about it." He rose to his feet and sighed. "I'd better get back to the workshop. I only came out here to hide from him in the first place."

"Gee thanks." Jess commented.

"Oh you know I love you!" The head elf promised. He bent down and kissed her on the lips. "How are the wedding plans going? Everyone can't wait for you to come back to work."

"_Everyone_ can't wait or _you_ can't wait for me to come back to work?" She teased, playing with the bells that rested on his collar. "C'mon I'll show you what we've got done so far." Tugging on his hand Jess pulled him into the kitchen.

"So yesterday I finalized the menu with Judy, and yes she made sure to include those fruit tarts you wanted." She said. "The colors are red and green, which makes decorating easy too since the pole's mostly covered in that color scheme. All that's left is for you to pick the invitations and talk to Curtis."

"The invitations? No!" Bernard complained. He wasted a whole week staring at the invitation samples before Jessie promised she'd take care of it. So far they'd shared most of the planning but he couldn't...wouldn't take another look at those sheets of stationary. "You said you'd pick one!" He pointed at her accusingly.

"I know, I know!" Jess held her arms up defensively. "And I'm sure the stationary department worked hard on all of these..." She gestured to the small stack of invitation samples. "But I've looked through them at least thirty times and I don't like them half as much as I like the one you made." She dug through the stack to find the sheet she was looking for.

"But I didn't..." He looked down at the paper Jessie handed him.

"I know it's technically just the list of things you gave the stationary department to include on the invitations but I thought maybe on a nicer parchment..."

"Did I ever tell you that my first job was as a Naughty and Nice List elf?" Bernard said looking up from the note he'd written. "They quickly moved me to toy making because they said my handwriting was too ornate. I never thought I'd be using it to impress a girl."

"Consider me impressed." Jess said as they walked towards the front door. "Now please write up an invitation, put it through the toy replicator so we can get them sent out. And talk to Curtis!" She insisted as her fiancé walked back out into the snow.


	21. Chapter 21

**A/n: Thank you too keacdragon and Chaos Infinity-X for your reviews of Chapter 20! I love reviews so much and I am genuinely amazed that this story has fifty reviews! Special thanks to everyone who made that possible! So Chapter 21 is a bit full of fluff, but hey it's a wedding chapter! So Chapter 22 will begin the flash forward to _The Santa Clause_ 2 Which means I'll have to decide if Jessie stays at the pole or not. I'm toying with the idea of her going back and forth, which is probably what I'll end up doing. Thanks again to everyone who enjoys this story! Please continue reading, Favoriting, Following, and reviewing! **

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><p>"Curtis! Report to my office!" Bernard's voice cracked through the loudspeaker of the main workshop building. The number two elf was taking his mid-day cookie break in the kitchen with Abby when the call came for him.<p>

"You'd better go Curtis." Abby suggested. "He sounds really upset."

All the more reason _not_ to go." Curtis shrugged. He reached for another cookie and took a large bite.

"Curtis!" Santa had gone to the kitchen for his own mid-day snack and was surprised to see the Keeper of the Christmas Handbook there. "I think Bernard just called for you..."

"He did, Sir." Abby confirmed.

"Well, you'd better get going." Scott suggested before plucking a cookie off the plate between Abby and Curtis. Santa took a bite out of the cookie before using it to point at the chubby elf. "Rumor has it our head elf has something to ask you."

"Really? What?" Curtis questioned, adjusting his glasses excitedly.

"Well you'll just have to head up to his office and find out!" Scott insisted, a mischievous twinkling present in his eyes. Following Santa's suggestion Curtis hustled out of the kitchen, through the main floor of the workshop and up to Bernard's office. He knocked rapidly on the office door before letting himself in.

"You wanted to see me Bernard?" He questioned his mentor. Curtis noticed Bernard looked more frazzled than usual, scraps of paper covered the desk between them. "What are you doing?"

"Jessie asked me to design the wedding invitations." The head elf replied without looking up. "I wouldn't mind it's just...I want them to look perfect!"

"Is that why you called me up here?" Curtis asked.

"No." Bernard sighed and put his pen down. This was going to be the hardest thing he'd done in at least four hundred years. Overall, Bernard supposed he liked Curtis. Sure they butted head sometimes but like Jessie said, the younger elf meant well. "Curtis, as you know, Jessie and I are getting married at the end of the month. We've got the meals planed out, decorations, I'm working on the invitations...we have everything we need except a best man."

"You want me to find you a best man, sir?" The young elf frowned.

"No, Curtis." Bernard did his best not to sound irritated. "I want you...I'm asking you, if _you_ would like to be my best man."

"Is Jessica making you do this?" Curtis wanted more than anything to be a part of the wedding, but not if Bernard didn't really want him there.

"No!" Bernard said with genuine offense in his voice. "Let's face it Curtis, you're the closest thing I have to a friend."

"We're friends?" Curtis chimed in excitedly.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that." Bernard grumbled in agreement. "So will you do it?"

* * *

><p>Jessie and Bernard were lying together in their bed the morning of their wedding.<p>

"Morning." Jessie yawned before nestling her chin on his neck.

"Good morning future Mrs. Head-Elf." Bernard murmured. "Ready to get married?"

"That requires getting out of bed." Jessie complained.

"You didn't have to leave in the middle of the night to pick up Charlie, Lucky, Dr. Miller and your mother." The Head elf pointed out.

"So let's just go back to sleep." His bride resolved. She wrapped her arm across his chest and closed her eyes.

"As much as I would love that," Bernard gently plucked her arm off of him before sliding out of bed. "We have a wedding to attend."

"Mmmhhh." Jess mumbled. She dragged her groom's pillow from his side of the bed and cuddled it.

"Jess, come on." Bernard complained. "I have to get out of here so you can put on your dress, but I'd like to have breakfast together beforehand."

"Oh fine." She sighed playfully before throwing his pillow at him. "It's always about what _you_ want." Jessie was joking but as she got out of bed she watched Bernard's face falter.

"You're sure this is what you want right?" He asked her seriously. "Because Jessica, once we're married and you become an elf, you're an elf forever, there's no going back from that if we don't work out."

"And how many forevers will it take for you to stop blaming yourself for my choice?" Jess accused. She looped her two arms around his neck. "Bernard, I chose you, and I'll keep choosing you a hundred times over. I love you and I love being at the pole. I can't wait to spend the rest of my life working with you in the workshop and being married to Santa's number one elf. So yes, this is what I want, for as long as you'll have me. And if you wake up someday, and decide you don't want me around...I suppose Curtis will have to do."

"I'm going to assume that part about Curtis was a joke?" Bernard asked. He scooped Jessie's legs out from under her and carried her into the kitchen.

* * *

><p>"Jess, Bernard?" Someone was knocking on the front door an hour later. It was Laura, Charlie and six month old baby Lucy.<p>

"Mom! Charlie! C'mon in." Jess answered the door. "Hiya Lucy!" She scooped her half-sister out of her mother's arms and carried her into the house. "Bernard, say hello to your sister-in-law!" Jess and the baby entered the kitchen where Bernard was drying the breakfast dishes. He set down the plate he was working at to greet his houseguests.

"Hey Lucy!" he cooed to the baby. "Wow she's gotten big!" He added to Mrs. Miller who entered the kitchen with Charlie.

"Happy Wedding, Bernard! Happy Wedding Jess!" The eleven year old boy hugged his sister and his favorite elf.

"Thanks, Sport." Bernard said, ruffling the little boy's hair.

"Charlie, you know that after today Bernard will be your brother right?" Jessie asked him.

"Really?" Charlie's face lit up. "This is the best day ever!" Then he frowned as he remembered something else. "But wait, aren't you going to become an elf?"

"Yes." Bernard answered for her. The last thing he wanted was for Charlie to think he was taking his sister away, even though he was sort of doing just that. "But you know Sport, Jessie'll be able to visit you just like Santa and I can. And you can call her on phone anytime you want."

"Promise?" Charlie turned to his sister.

"I promise." Jess agreed.

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><p>"Hello?" Scott's voice called through the small house just before the ceremony was supposed to begin.<p>

"Shh!" Jessie poked her head out from the bedroom. Most of her figure was hidden in the room, but Santa could still make out the silhouette of her mermaid dress. "Lucy's just waking up from her nap." The bride explained while Scott let himself into the house. He was dressed in his nicest red Santa Clause suit, complete with a newly sewed hat.

"Where's your mother?" He questioned, stepping into the kitchen.

"In here." Jess pointed to the bedroom behind her. "Where's Neil?" She asked, peeking over her father's shoulders. The two men were getting along better these days, but she didn't put it past Scott to try having the wedding without Neil.

"He's outside." Santa said casually.

"You left him outside in the snow! Dad that's a rental suit!"His daughter groaned. She started charging through the kitchen, but her dad caught her by the elbows.

"Now wait just a second!" Scott insisted. "I said he was outside, not that I left him in the snow! He's working with Curtis on something Bernard asked us to do. We've got to stay in here until he knocks three times."

"How very...cryptic." Jess laughed.

"Jessica, your veil." Laura said as she joined her daughter and ex-husband in the kitchen. Laura was wearing a flowing red cocktail dress, with a green sash tied around her waist. In one hand she held out a snow white veil, and in the other little Lucy. Lucy was wearing a Green unitard and a fluffy red tutu. What little curly red hair she had was held back with a silky green headband.

"Let me help you with that." Scott took the veil from Laura and fixed in Jessie's hair.

"Is it time to go yet?" Charlie said, rushing out of the bedroom last. Charlie was wearing a black tuxedo with a red button up dress shirt and a green bow tie.

"Not yet Char." Jess said to her little brother. "We have to wait for Neil's crypt knock."

"How long's that gonna take?" Charlie asked. He jumped off his feet and sat in one of the kitchen chairs. Three distinct knocks could be heard from the front door.

"That's the signal, everyone wait here." Scott ordered. He poked his head out the door to talk to Neil. After a few seconds of whispered conversation, both men stood in the sitting room. Neil was dressed similarly to Charlie with a tuxedo on. Only between his jacket and red shirt, the stepfather wore a loudly printed green sweater. He also swapped his bow tie out for a simple green necktie. "Alright, here's the plan," Scott explained. "Charlie you and your mother are going to walk out with Lucy, then Neil and I will escort Jessie outside. Jessie, you've got to stay in the kitchen until we call for you, otherwise it'll ruin the surprise."

Everyone agreed to follow Santa's plan. Laura carried her youngest daughter outside with a basket of flowers. Charlie went out with them, carrying a pillow with two rings tied to it. At last it was time for Neil, Scott and Jessie to join the procession.

"Ready Princess?" Scott said offering his left elbow out to her.

"More than ever." Jessie promised him. She looped her right arm through his left and Neil swung the front door open. "Wow!" Jess marveled when she finally saw what Bernard's surprise had been. A bright red carpet leading from the front door of their house all the way to the center of town where the ceremony was to be held. The head elf himself stood under the wedding arch, with Curtis on one side of him and Niklaus the notary on the other, waiting for his bride. Neil shut the door to his stepdaughter's new home and joined her on the red carpet.

"Last chance to run." Scott whispered before the party of three began their march.

"Dad..." Jess sighed.

"I'm kidding." Scott laughed. "You know I like Bernard. He's a good catch."

"You're going to make an excellent elf." Neil whispered. "I'm glad Bernard makes you happy."

"Thanks Dad, Neil." Jess smiled. "Let's go."


	22. Chapter 22

**A/n: As always, thank you to Chaos Infinity-X, Samanthatm, Flowerchild23 and Lady Minuialwen for your reviews of Chapter 21! With this next Chapter we start a flash forward to _The Santa Clause 2_! Thanks to everyone for reading, reviewing, favoring and following!**

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><p>"Jessica!" a very frustrated Bernard shouted his wife's names as he stormed through the main floor of the workshop. The two had been married for five years now, and for the most part they got along like cookies and milk. Bernard had maintained his post as head elf while Jessie had been promoted to chief elf of the paint department. In order to increase productivity, all painting work was moved to a large department under the direct control of the newly turned elf. So far both the paint department and Jessie had been working out great. That wasn't to say that there weren't occasional mishaps. One of those mishaps was clutched between Bernard's hands as he marched towards the department in question. Jess was standing in the middle of the paint center mixing a new batch of Christmas green when she'd heard her husband's disgruntled shouts.<p>

"Jessie, do I need to remind you that our job is to provide _quality_ toys to the children of the world?" Barnard snapped. He didn't like being rude to his wife but this was workshop business. Neither elf held a grudge about things that happened during work hours.

"What is it this time?" Jessie sighed. She looked up at him from a curtain of her wavy brown hair.

"This!" The head elf hissed. He tossed a wooden duck down on the counter in front of her. At first it didn't seem to be so bad. It was the right base colors, the bill was orange and the body was the correct shade of yellow. Upon further inspection, Jess realized someone had neglected to paint eyes on the toy fowl.

"It's just eyes, Bernard." After placing the toy back on the counter, the chief painter grabbed jars of black and white paint and a detailing brush.

"Just eyes?" Bernard repeated, flabbergasted. "Curtis and I already copied fifty of these before we realized something was wrong. I lost forty five minutes of production time!"

"Don't be so dramatic." Jess rolled her eyes. "I'm already halfway done fixing it. Once this guy is dry, Curtis can up the speed on the toy duplicator and make up for the time lost." Her husband didn't argue because he knew she was right. Instead he leaned against the counter and watched her work. Jess always painted with an elbow on the counter, her head rested on that hand. She was right handed, which was uncommon among elves. Though Jess herself wasn't a common elf and she certainly didn't dress like one. That day she was wearing a pair of Bernard's old brown slacks and a reindeer sweater. Still just four feet ten inches tall, she favored sneakers over traditional elf shoes. In fact Jessie would hardly resemble an elf at all if it weren't for the pair of pointy ears that stuck out through her hair. "What are you staring at?" She growled, now finished with her task.

"Your ears." Bernard confessed.

"My..." Jess's left hand shot up towards her ear self-consciously.

"Darling, you have beautiful ears." The head elf promised.

"Sorry to interrupt..." Curtis said entering the paint department. Jessie and Bernard both glared at him, but the number two elf pressed on. "I have an update on Charlie."

"Charlie? Is he still getting into trouble?" Bernard asked.

"It started out as normal teenage rebellion but it's been getting worse." Jess explained. "What's he done now?"

"Something at school." Curtis said. "Dr. Miller, called there's a meeting with his principal. Should I tell Santa?"

"No." Jess said immediately. "No, I'll go down to the meeting with Mom, Neil and Charlie's principal. No one tell Santa."

"Question, how exactly are you going to do that?" Bernard questioned her with crossed arms with crossed arms.

"I'll take a reindeer. Not Comet, obviously, Dad would notice if he went missing. But I'll go down and explain that Dad couldn't come because of his work, so he sent me instead." Jess shrugged.

"There are just a few problems with that. For one thing, no human is going to believe you're twenty three." Bernard waved his hand at his wife's beautiful figure. "You're an elf now. You'll age much slower than you did before. Jessie you look exactly like you did when you were eighteen! Never mind the fact that you're two inches shy of five feet! When we visited with Charlie last he towered over _me!_ I can only imagine the height difference between you two now."

"But I _am_ Charlie's older sister and one of his legal guardians in the school records." Jess reminded him.

"That was only suppose to be for emergencies!" Curtis jumped in.

"Well this _is_ an emergency...kind of." Jess insisted.

" What about your ears?" Bernard questioned. "They stick out of your hair like two pointy little billboards!"

"All I need is a hat." She decided before plucking the green velvet hat off her husband's head. Tugging Barnard's favorite hat onto her own head, Jess tucked the pointed tips of her ears into the brim of her hat. "See! Basically human. I'll be back before you even notice I'm gone." Without another word Jess walked out of the workshop and towards the stables.

"She took my hat." The head elf frowned.

"You're married." Curtis shrugged ."What's yours is hers and what's Hers is hers!"

"Get back to work!" Bernard yelled at his number two elf.


	23. Chapter 23

**A/n: Thank you to Chaos Infinity-X, Flowerchild23, Blue rap, Applejax XD, Lady Minuialwen, brittpage21, Shadow 97 and princessyuki08 for your reviews of Chapter 21! I know that Lucy's suppose to be 7/8ish by the time _Santa Clause 2_ happens but (and my math could be totally wrong on this) In order for that to happen she'd have to have been born right after Scott's second Christmas as Santa. My version of Lucy is born the Spring when Charlie is 10/11ish. And I know I'm fudging the numbers a bit here but my _SC2 _Lucy will be six, because I didn't want my _SC2 _Charlie to be older than sixteen. But I'm sure there must be a way if Charlie and Lucy were 10 1/2 years apart its possible that they could be 16 and 6 at the same. But if I'm wrong, totes feel comfortable leaving it in the reviews, I wont be offended! **

**Glad to see y'all loved Bernard and Curtis' conversation about the hat, it's my favorite part of Chapter 22! And I know a couple of people have been asking about a BernardXJess baby and I'd love to write that in some how, because it's something I'd like to see myself. Maybe some Curtis getting jealous of the baby? I also thought it might be a good excuse for Bernard to retire and Curtis to become head elf in _SC3, _because I can't see Bernard letting Jack get away with that shit on his watch! Anyway, feel free to comment about anything I mentioned above or anything else you want to know/see! Thanks as always for reading, following, favorting and reviewing! **

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><p>"Dasher, try to stay out of sight alright? I won't be long." Jess instructed the reindeer before tying his lead to a tree. The two had landed in the stretch of woods behind her old high school and so the elf began making her way towards the school building. Just before crossing the tree line she made sure her pointed ears were well hidden udder Bernard's cap. Jessie entered the school and told the secretary that she was there for a meeting with the Principal. The secretary, who recognized Jess from her years as a student, gave her a visitor's pass and sent her down the hall. The Principal's office was in the same location it had been five years ago and she found Laura and Neil waiting just outside.<p>

"Jess! I didn't know you were coming, is Scott here?" Laura ambushed her daughter.

"No, I didn't tell Dad about this. You know how he gets when it's this close to Christmas. I barely wanted to tell Barnard, he gets stressed by proxy." Jess sighed.

"Yeah, what's it like being married to Bernard?" Neil asked with intrigue. Jessie was saved from answering as Charlie's principal, Carol Newman, swung open her door. Carol had only been the Principal since last May. Despite being in the position for a short amount of time, she'd already drastically improved the school and wasn't tolerant of anyone who went against her rules. It was barely past Thanksgiving and Charlie Calvin hit his second strike.

"Dr. and Mrs. Miller, we meet again." Principal Newman greeted the parents dryly. "Excuse me a moment, please." She looked past Neil and Laura to glare at Jessie. "Young lady, we don't wear hats in the hallway. What class are you suppose to be in right now?"

"She's not a student!" Laura jumped in. "This is my older daughter, Jessica," She wrapped an arm around her oldest child's shoulders.

"Oh, well I was hoping this meeting could just be us adults and Charlie." Principal Newman explained.

"I'm twenty three." Jessie tried to reply nicely.

"I'm sorry, but is this a joke?" Principal Newman seemed offended. "I wanted to discuss Charlie's problems but maybe things run deeper..."

"I stopped growing when I was twelve." Jess clarified. "And if you look into Charlie's records I am one of his legal guardians."

"Oh very well, all of you please come in." Carol sighed. No wonder Charlie acted the way he did. She could only imagine what his father was like. "Will Mr. Calvin be joining us today?" Laura and Neil both looked at Jess for a cover story.

"He couldn't afford to take time away from his work." The elf remarked vaguely.

"Jess?!" Charlie spotted his sister when she entered the room. It had been months since Jess and Charlie had seen each other. They shared a hug and he was careful not to disturb the familiar hat he guessed was hiding his sister's elfish ears. Bernard had been right, as usual, Jess noted as she took in her sixteen year old brother's five foot nine inch frame. Her baby brother towered almost a whole foot above her.

"Hey Char, getting yourself into a bit of trouble?" Jess accused. Charlie noticed her tone lacked its typical sense of joking or sarcasm. "If you're not careful you're going to end up on Dad's _other_ list." She warned just low enough for him to hear.

"I'm afraid it's much more than a bit of trouble Miss Calvin." Carol said, now standing behind her desk. "Please have a seat, we have a lot of ground to cover..."

No one bothered explaining to Principal Newman that it was technically Mrs. Calvin as she was married but her husband didn't have a last name. The subject was obviously best avoided, so they took their seats around the room as suggested instead.

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><p>"Bernard!" Curtis sprinted into the head elf's office. "I have some bad news..."<p>

"Is it Jessie?" Bernard questioned immediately. He knew he should have never let his wife go out alone. She was still a young elf and didn't realize the number of things that could go wrong outside of the pole.

"No, as far as I know she's still at Charlie's school." Curtis assumed. He hadn't heard anything to the contrary, so there was no sense in worrying his boss over nothing. "I'm talking about this..." From the hall Curtis dragged in the giant magnification machine. A small white business card was attached to one end.

"Curtis, that's the Santa Clause. We already knew about that." Bernard groaned.

"Well, you're half right." Curtis said nervously. "The red border around the card _is_ the Santa Clause. But have you ever looked at the filigree in the center of the card?"

"Curtis, I don't have time for your riddles, just tell me what you found out." The head adult snarled.

"Right." The number two elf flipped up the largest magnifying glass on the machine. "Have you ever heard of the Mrs. Clause?"

"Oh no!" Of all the rules Bernard could have ignored from the Christmas handbook, the Mrs. Clause was possibly one of the worst.

"I'm back!" Jessie announced poking her head into her husband's office. Both men stared back at her with gaping mouths and frightened expressions. "What's going on?" She noticed the grim looks on both Curtis and Bernard's faces.

"We forgot about the Mrs. Clause." Curtis explained as his boss was unable to speak.

"The Mrs. Claus, like Santa's wife?" Jess asked. She sat up on her husband's desk and waited for someone to answer her.

"No, Darling, more like the contract kind of clause." Barnard told her gently.

"Oh, like the Santa Clause when dad put on the suit?"

"Exactly!" Curtis agreed. "Only this one means he has to get married by Christmas."

"Christmas..._this_ Christmas?" Jess looked at over her shoulder at Bernard.

"Apparently your father's been Santa for almost eight Christmases..." The head elf tried to think back.

"There was the first Christmas where Dad and Charlie delivered half of the presents after he put on the suit," Jess recalled. "Then the second was the year E.L.F.S. rescued him..."

"And the third was after your eighteenth birthday , and that big fight you and Bernard had." Curtis remembered.

"Then Jessie and I got married that summer and our five year anniversary was _this July_." Bernard added.

"No wonder we forgot about the Mrs. Clause...it's been a busy eight years." Curtis said.

"Okay, so what happens if Dad doesn't find a wife by Christmas?" Jess questioned.

"He doesn't get to be Santa anymore."

"He won't be Santa anymore." Curtis and Bernard replied together.


	24. Chapter 24

**A/n: Hey look, 24 Chapters by December 24th! ( Technically it was Christmas Eve three hours ago in my time zone but hey, most of y'all wont see this until daylight so it counts!) Since tomorrow (today) is Christmas Eve, I don't know how many Chapters I'll be able to get out to y'all, but hopefully it'll be at least one! For now please enjoy Chapters 23 & 24! Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, And any other winter time holidays you partake in! Thank you all for enjoying my story thus far and as always thank you for reading, favorting, following and reviewing! **

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><p>"Good morning Santa's grumpiest elf!" Jessie greeted her husband as she let herself into his office. A tray carrying two warm bowls of chicken soup with all the fixing was clutched between her hands. "The kitchen elves want to know if you're in a bad mood because it takes the Christmas cheer too long to travel through your body."<p>

"Is that a tall joke?" Bernard hissed. He knew he shouldn't be sour with his wife. She'd been subjected to short jokes most of her life much in the same way he'd been taunted for his height. But Christmas was fast approaching and they both still had so much work to do.

"I think it's also an angry boss joke." Jess decided as she placed the tray of food on his desk. "I can totally relate. My boss has been snapping at me all week." She'd said it with a teasing tone but they both knew she'd been feeling mistreated and for good reason. Curtis and Bernard still hadn't told Santa about the Mrs. Clause and rather than dealing with their problem both older elves had been taking their frustrations with each other out on the only other person in on the secret, her. Jess would have gone to Scott herself except she worried doing so may just get the head elf and the Keeper of the handbook in trouble. "Do you think you could take time away from your schedule for lunch?"

Bernard watched as Jess picked up one of the bowls and sat on his desk. He used to like it when she did that. He used to think it was cute that her short legs swung freely while she ate lunch or talked with him. But lately every single one of her little habits had been annoying him. If Bernard thought about it long enough he'd realize that it wasn't Jessie he was annoyed with but rather himself. He'd failed as head elf when he and Curtis neglected the Mrs. Clause and now the pole may lose its best Santa because of a tiny detail. In time Jess may even grow to resent him because if Scott Calvin was no longer Santa, he Charlie and the Millers would forget everything that happened the past eight years. Jess wouldn't be able to see them anymore because it would break the S.O.S., Secret of Santa, guidelines. The head elf had a lot to lose if Santa didn't find a wife by Christmas Eve.

"I'm not hungry Jessica." Bernard growled.

"Aright." Jess nearly slammed her bowl back onto the tray. "I have some painting to finish. I'll see you at home tonight." She stormed out of the office without another word.

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><p>Charlie didn't know exactly what time it was when he snuck onto the roof of the high school with his friend Danielle. They'd been waiting for what felt like hours in the woods watching the teachers leave one by one.<p>

"It is s-so cold up here!" Danielle complained. "Charlie, how are you not freezing?"

"You have not seen cold until you've seen where my dad and sister live." Charlie chuckled. "It's..." His sentence trailed off as he thought about the pole. It was the most magical place on earth and not just because it was Santa's workshop, sure that was part of it, but his Dad lived there. Jess and Bernard were married there. He'd spent every Christmas there since he was eight. It sucked that no one else got to see the one place that felt the most like home to him.

"Don't be embarrassed." Danielle comforted him. "My parents are divorced too. It's no big deal."

"I'm not embarrassed." Charlie insisted taking off his winter coat.

"Then why don't you ever talk about your dad? Or your sister?"

"He doesn't like me too. It's complicated." Charlie sighed. Danielle must have thought he was the biggest loser.

"What is he a spy or something?" The teenage girl laughed.

"No, he...he works with toys." Charlie explained as he climbed into the harness they'd brought with them. "Jess and her husband work with him. They all work with these...little people...kids! Look, can we just do what we came here to do?" He secured a carabiner and a length of rope to a sturdy pipe nearby. The climbing equipment was completely safe and had been inspected by the head elf himself. Though if Bernard knew what his brother-in-law was currently doing with the equipment he would have confiscated the previous year's Christmas present immediately. Opening the window at the top of the gymnasium, Charlie prepared to climb down with a backpack full of spray paint.

"Charlie this is _really_ Dangerous." His friend warned him. "Someone could catch us at any moment. Kind of exciting." She added with a smile.

"Well, you know Danielle, I may not come out of this alive." Charlie said attempting to sound suave. "So in case we don't see each other again..." Guessing what he was hinting at she leaned forward. Charlie leaned forward too, just a bit too far and he fell right through the open roof window.

"Are you okay?" Danielle whispered after he saved himself from falling to his doom. He sent a thumbs up before shaking a green can of spray paint and turning to the task at hand.

Charlie remained harnessed and hovering over the gymnasium with Danielle watching from the window above for almost an hour. The finished masterpiece would read Newman = no Christmas. It had been Danielle's idea to symbolize the "no Christmas" part by painting a giant red line through a decorated Christmas tree. The two teenagers, along with the rest of their friends, had become disgruntled by Principal Newman's ban of anything holiday related. The halls weren't decked with their usual garland and lights and neither tree nor menorah was found anywhere on campus. Teachers were also not permitted to host holiday parties for their students. Naturally the son of Santa Claus felt it was his duty to make a statement against these policies.

The spray painted images may not have been up to Jess' quality of work, but they got their point across well enough. Charlie was just about finished with the red strike-through line when he heard something clang next to him. It was a very tall maintenance ladder. The teenage boy watching in fear as someone climbed up the ladder, a disgruntled expression fixed on their face.

"Hello, Principal Newman." Charlie gulped.

"Hello Charlie." She greeted him with disapproval.


	25. Chapter 25

**A/n: Thank you so much to princeessyuki08, Applejax XD, starrat, keacdragon and flowerchild23 for your reviews of Chapter 24! I don't have much to say about Chapter 25, so I'll just let you get to it! Please enjoy and as always thanks for Reading, reviewing, favoriting and following! **

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><p>"Jess can you take a look at this, I think I did something wrong." One of the painter elves asked her. The team was working on some new drum designs and the diagram was less than ideal. Jess and Bernard were to blame for this error as neither wife nor Husband would agree on a final design. Eventually Jess decided to press forward with her own plans and because of her inexperience with toy making there were more than a few bugs.<p>

"Sure Dottie, I'll take a look." She wiped paint residue off her hands before going over to assess the situation. Jess immediately noticed the problem. Rather than being gold and red as the diagram called for, the drum was painted gold and bright pink.

"I used the number thirty five paint just like the diagram said." Dottie insisted, handing Jess the bottle of paint in question. The head painter took it and inspected its contents.

"It's nothing you did." Jess sighed. "It's my fault, when I was mixing this batch of paint I wasn't paying attention. I'll get you a new one." Running a hand through her hair in frustration she made her way back over to the paint station. After giving Dottie a proper bottle of number thirty five paint, Jess toured the department to ensure no one else's paint was mixed poorly. Back at the paint mixing station she sat with her head in her hands. _What else could go wrong_? She groaned.

"Um, Jess?" Judy questioned the painter elf nervously.

"Yeah?" Jess replied, trying not to snap at the kitchen elf.

"The Naughty and Nice elves asked me to give you this." Judy held out a small rolled up piece of paper.

"Is this from the Naughty and Nice machine?" The semi-automated machine only spat out the names of kids who'd been exceptionally kind or rude. "Let me guess..." The younger elf sighed. "_Charlie Calvin - Naughty List._" She read from the scrap of paper. "Judy, I think it's time for me to talk to Santa about this. Do you think you could bring some hot chocolate to his office?"

"I'll get up there as fast as I can." The kitchen elf promised before scuttling off to the kitchen.

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><p>Jessie let herself into Bernard's office where he'd been hiding all day. If they were going to talk to Scott about Charlie, they might as well tell him about the Mrs. Clause as well.<p>

"Have you been sleeping in your office?" She accused, pointing at the disheveled cot against the wall.

"I've been busy." Was all Bernard managed to get out. He had been busy, but Jessie's attitude lately had made it easier for him to find excuses to work late.

"Whatever. Listen we've got to tell Dad about the Mrs. Clause. Every day that we wait is more time he could be using. Plus this came through the Naughty and Nice machine." Jess handed her husband the rolled up paper.

"Charlie's on the naughty list?" Bernard gasped. He'd watch Charlie grow up since he was eight years old. He'd been such a sweet little kid, it seemed impossible that his Brother-in-law could have done something so bad to end up on the naughty list. Curtis walked into the office whistling his favorite Christmas tune. He stopped when he saw Jessica and Bernard glaring at each other from opposite sides of the desk.

"Oh, you two are obviously in the middle of something. I'll just be going." Curtis said.

"Curtis, you have to tell Santa about the Mrs. Clause right now." Barnard ordered.

"But he's so happy!" Curtis frowned. "And why do _I_ have to be the one to tell him? He's your father-in-law."

"Because, I'm the head elf!" Bernard shrieked. "I don't give bad news."

"Powerhungry." Jessica coughed which caused Curtis to giggle. "Why don't we _all_ tell him?" She suggested. "Where is he now?"

The three elves found Scott rolling in the snow, a pile of elves on top of him. It was apparent that Santa and the elves has just finished a game of tinsel football. The rules were easy enough to understand, as it was just flag football with braids of tinsel.

"Santa!" Bernard called out as the football players dispersed. "We need to talk."

Scott didn't know if it was the serious looks on Bernard, Jessie and Curtis' faces or the fact that his daughter and son-in-law were in sudden agreement, but the father of Christmas could feel in his gut that something was seriously wrong. He allowed Jess and Barnard to escort him up to his office where Judy was already waiting with a tray of warm hot cocoas.

"Oh you guys pre-ordered the cocoa?" He smiled, plucking a pewter mug from Judy's tray. "So what's this all about?" He questioned as he settled behind his desk.

"It's Charlie, Daddy." Jess sighed. Bernard handed Santa the same scrap of paper his wife had presented him earlier.

"Charlie _our_ Charlie? Oh no." Scott groaned. "Listen guys, this has got to be a mistake."

"The Naughty and Nice elves don't make mistakes, sir." Bernard assured him grimly.

"How did this happen?" Scott marveled. "Charlie's never been in any troubled before." Jessie and Bernard exchanged a look.

"Well..."

"What do you mean well?" Santa snapped at his daughter.

"The last three or four months Charlie's been going through a rough patch." Jess explained. "Bernard and I told the other elves not to say anything to you because I thought I could handle it, then Judy brought that slip from the machine this morning."

"I can't believe you two!" Scott remarked. "Charlie is my son and if he gets himself into trouble you can't keep things from me! I'll have to go down there and talk to him. I guess things could be a lot worse, we can get Charlie back on the nice list in seconds. You really had me scared when you said you had to talk to me."

"Great! You told him!" Curtis exclaimed with relief as he shoved the magnification machine into the office. "Now let's get you dressed for that meeting!" He was talking about the Legendary Figures Meeting that was scheduled to begin in a half hour.

"Oh I can't have the meeting here." Scott shook his head. "I really can't I'm going to have to see Charlie."

"Number two tell him now." Bernard demanded.

"Tell me what? Guys come on." Scott looked around the room at three of his most important elves. He really didn't have time to play guessing games.

"Santa, there's a clause..." Curtis began.

"That would be me." Santa acknowledged impatiently.

"No, I mean there's another Santa Clause." Curtis sighed.

"Curtis in case you haven't noticed this time of year the malls are filled with other 'Santa Clauses'." Scott said.

"He means the contract kind of clause." Jessie interjected.

"Exactly." Curtis agreed. "When the last Santa fell of your roof and you put on his coat, you found this." He pulled out the white business card and Scott recognized it immediately.

"Right, _He who wears the coat takes on the responsibilities of Santa Claus._ And the rest would be history right?"

"But it seems our number two elf," Bernard stared down at Curtis bitterly. "overlooked the single most important detail in the history of Christmas!"

"Wow, one mistake in nine hundred years." Curtis mumbled unapologetically.

"Look." Bernard instructed as he swung up the largest magnifier on the machine.

"Okay..." Santa squinted as he tried to read the very small white font. "The card holder acknowledges a woman of his choosing...true love...not valid in the state of Utah...holy MATRIMONY? I've gotta get married!"

"Yes, it's the Mrs. Clause." Bernard gulped.

"Well, what if I don't want to get married?" Scott asked, stepping away from the magnification machine. As he said that, his jolly stomach shrunk before their eyes.

"The de-Santification process has begun!" Curtis shouted.

"De-Santification? Are you telling me that in that clause it says if I don't get married...I don't get to be Santa anymore?" Jessie, Barnard and Curtis didn't say anything, they just looked back at him sadly. Scott was heartbroken. The past eight years as Santa had been the best years of his life. "What-what about the kids? What about the elves? What about you guys?" He looked from his daughter to her husband with concern.

"It's not completely hopeless." Jess tried to cheer him up. "You still have time..."

"How much time do I have?"

"Twenty eight days." Bernard answered him.

"So I have to find a wife by Christmas?" Scott sighed.

"Christmas Eve actually." Curtis corrected. The three elves watch in horror as Santa's beard began to shrink just as his stomach had minutes ago.

"Christmas is getting complicated." Santa complained.


	26. Chapter 26

**A/n: Thank you too Starrat, , Adela and the one guest who reviewed Chapter 25! As always I'm glad to hear that ya'll are still enjoying the story! I sorry it took me longish to update! I've just been thinking of the right way to piece this next Chapter together! I still haven't decided exactly _how_ involved Jess will be with Charlie/Carol but I'm getting close to figuring it out. For now I hope you enjoy Chapter 26! Thanks so much for Reading, Reviewing, Favorting & Following! **

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><p>Scott left for his meeting with the Legendary Council which gave Bernard, Curtis and Jessie the ability to return to their usual work. Immediately Bernard abandoned his wife and friend to return to his office. Curtis said he had some ideas to improve the toy replicator and Jess asked if she could tag along with him.<p>

"You actually want to hang out with me?" Curtis asked as they walked towards the pantograph room.

"Well we never really find time to talk to each other." Jess shrugged. While over exposure to Curtis could make any elf crazy, he wasn't so bad in small doses. She followed him into the pantograph room that was empty of all other elves. Curtis explained that the toy copying elves were on their lunch break and Jess half-listened as he described the various improvements he'd made to the machine over time whenever the room was empty. At some point Curtis looked away from his tinkering to find Jessica watching him with her face resting on her fist.

"I'm sorry, you must think this is boring." He frowned. Jess could tell he was used to people telling him off because of his constant rambling.

"I was trying to listen really I was Curtis, I'm just...distracted." She sighed.

"You and Barnard still aren't getting along?" He questioned carefully.

"Like you haven't noticed." She snorted. "You're around us more than anyone! I just don't understand what his problem is."

"This isn't really my place to say," Curtis told her. Normally Curtis wouldn't interfere with the Head Elf's personal life, but something Bernard had said other day bugged him. The number two elf was just trying to think of a good way to bring it up."But I think Bernard's afraid you're going to hate him."

"He's being rude to me because he doesn't want me to hate...Curtis that doesn't make any sense!" Jess insisted exasperatedly.

"Jessica, think about it, his mood swings started right around the same time I reminded him about the Mrs. Clause." Curtis recollected. "I think he's worried that if we get a new Santa...you won't love him anymore."

"What? Curtis that's ridiculous!" Jess laughed. "Where would you get an idea like that?"

"Like I said, it's not my place to say. You should talk to Bernard about it."

"Talk to Bernard about what?" The disgruntled head elf demanded from the door of the room.

"Nothing!" Curtis insisted. The number two elf turned back to his work. Bernard stared at his wife, waiting for her to answer.

"We'll talk about it later." Jess told him. "What are we going to do about Dad?"

"I'm afraid there's nothing we can do. We can't force him to marry someone." Bernard frowned.

"What about Charlie?" Jess suggested. "Maybe I can help with that."

"Santa seemed pretty mad that you tried to deal with Charlie before." Curtis piped up.

"He was only mad because I didn't mention it sooner." The youngest elf explained. "Maybe I can go with him and help this time."

"Jessie, even if you went with Santa you wouldn't be able to stay very long." Bernard sighed. "Elves aren't meant to stray far from the pole. You'll get sick after a few days."

"Then I won't stay for very long." Jess shrugged.

"What about your work here?" Her husband questioned impatiently. "Even if you're father's no longer Santa, you'll still be an elf. You have responsibilities."

"Fortunately, I'm married to the elf who assigns my workload." Jessie teased. "C'mon Bernard you said it yourself I can't stay away for more than a few days at a time. I'll go down with Dad, help him with Charlie, and after a few days I'll be back at work."

"I don't know about this Jessica..." Curtis warned skeptically.

"You two worry too much." Jess waved him off.

"Hey guys, what's going on?" Scott asked his three favorite elves as he entered the pantograph room. Santa just left his legendary figures meeting when he'd passed by the room where Jessie, Bernard and Curtis were arguing.

"Jessica wants to go with you to visit Charlie." The number two elf explained.

"Well here's the thing guys," Scott sighed. "I don't know If can even go visit Charlie. I can't be in two places at once!"

"Maybe you can..."Curtis grinned mischievously. Scott looked down his daughter and son-in-law for an explanation. Jessie and Bernard both shrugged, having no idea what the third elf was talking about. "I've tripled the RAM and reconfigured the circuitry paths." Curtis explained as he walked towards the control panel .

"I see you've externalized the power source..." Santa observed. "to make better use of the electromagnetic energy."

"Nah," Curtis shrugged, turning various knobs on the control panel. "It's just because it looks _really_ cool." Jess watch him maneuver around the pantographs controls and she wished she'd paid more attention to what he'd said about them all earlier.

"Wait a minute..." Santa had a sudden realization. "You tripled the RAM? Curtis, I see where this is going and I _am not_ getting in that thing!"

"Right!" Bernard agreed at once. "Besides creating a copy of Santa Claus won't solve our problems, it would be a toy."

"And the elves would know!" Jess snorted.

"But this would be a _very special_ toy!" Curtis promised.

"How's that Curtis?" Scott asked the Keeper of the Christmas Handbook.

"I added a fuzzy logic circuit to the pantograph this morning. The duplicate will look and think just like you. So when you're with your family, dealing with Charlie, and looking for a wife..."

"The toy Santa will be up here melting in front of my fireplace." Santa concluded with feigned enthusiasm.

"No, the toy Santa will be dealing with business up here!" Curtis argued.

"I can deal with business up here!" Bernard insisted.

"You?!" Scott laughed. "You can't even handle your domestic problems! You two thought I didn't notice, you've been fighting nonstop? I may be de-santafying but I'm still you're father-in-law."

"Dad!" Jess hissed. "That's not really relevant to this discussion." Scott would have loved to argue the point with her but he knew there really wasn't anytime. He needed to figure out a plan and Curtis' seemed to be a pretty good one. There'd be plenty of time to argue later.

"Santa, hmm, sir," Bernard coughed. "With all due respect, if the elves ever found out that we made a switch..." The head elf gasped dramatically. "No! No! This machine is not the answer!"

"Is it safe Curtis?" Jessica asked, ignoring her husband's protests and her father's watchful gaze. Cutis was about to explain that he didn't know for sure, but in that exact moment a mouse jumped onto the entrance conveyer belt of the toy replicator. The entrance conveyer belt began to move and the mouse was trapped inside before anyone could stop it. Bernard, Curtis, Jess and Scott all rushed to the exit conveyer belt and waited, with baited breath, for the mouse to reemerge. After a minute or two the mouse finally reappeared followed closely by its lifelike toy counterpart.

"You can't get much better than that!" Cutis grinned. He was speaking about the quality of the toy and not the safety of the machine but the others didn't really need to know that. After debating for beat, Santa began to smile himself.

"I'm going in!"

"Oh I can't watch this!" Bernard whined, covering his eyes with his hand. Curtis took up his position at the control panel and made a few adjustments for Santa's size. Jessie stood by the exit conveyer belt, nervously biting her thumb nail.

"It's perfect!" Curtis shouted as a stiff Santa-esque creature emerged from the pantograph.

"That's because it's me!" Scott laughed.

"Santa, are you alright?"Bernard questioned, taking his hand off his face.

"Daddy, are you okay?" Jessie asked at the same time.

"Yeah, yeah." Scott rushed to assure them before whispering to Curtis, "I felt a shock in there, was I suppose to feel a shock?" He didn't get his answer as Bernard and Curtis began to scream.


	27. Chapter 27

**Thank you to , keacdragon and flowerchild 23 for your reviews of Chapter 26! Also thanks to Chaos Infinity-X for the messages you've dropped in my PM box during the last few chapters! **** , the sickness when elves are away from the pole too long will come into play later on. Things are about to get a little chaotic at the pole, (as we know!) but maybe with Curtis' help, Jess and Bernard will be civil to each other again? Fingers crossed! ****Anyway please enjoy Chapter 27 I know it's kind of a set up Chapter, but sometimes they're necessary! Thanks as always for reading, favoring, following and reviewing! **

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><p>Scott turned to see what they were screaming at. All together the four adults shouted:<p>

"It's naked!"

Jess, rolled her eyes at the three men and searched the area for something to cover Toy Santa with. She found a stretch of fabric nearby and draped it over his shoulders. Curtis had to admit he was disappointed the Toy Santa didn't look as life like as the toy mouse had been previously. Instead of white and soft, his beard was greyish and rubbery. Toy Santa's blue eyes didn't glisten the same way that Scott's did and his "skin" had an unnatural sheen to it. All that aside it was still pretty cool.

"It's incredible!" Curtis beamed with pride.

"Can it talk?" Santa questioned before making his final judgment on the matter. Curtis gestured at Toy Santa suggesting Scott give it a try. Shrugging, the real Santa turned to his toy counterpart. "Hello?" At first, just a few drunkish garbles were all Toy Santa could manage. Scott attempted to try again. "Hello?" This time Toy Santa was able to repeat the greeting in an exact copy of the real Santa's voice. "Ho! Ho! Ho!" Scott laughed.

"Ho, ho, ho." Toy Santa repeated, his tone lacked the cheery disposition of the true father of Christmas, but for the elves who didn't know Scott well it would work.

"Not bad." The genuine Santa nodded with approval.

"You're not too bad yourself!" Toy Santa remarked.

"You watch him, we'll be right back." Scott instructed Curtis before dragging his daughter and son-in-law away by their elbows. "Listen you two, I know you have your own issues going on, but I really need your help on this."

"What do you mean?" Bernard asked. His voice squeaked, as it tended to do when he was nervous. If Jess wasn't so mad at him, she'd have giggled lovingly at her husband.

"I mean that I have to go see Charlie." Scott said. "I need the two of you to convince the elves that 'Toy Santa' is me."

"Uh, hmm, Have you seen that thing?" The head elf prodded skeptically.

"I've seen it." His father-in-law assured him.

"Bernard's right Daddy, No one's going to believe that it's really you." Jess agreed.

"they might if my elf-in-law and his wife tell them it is." Scott insisted.

"But I wanted to go with you to..."

"Jessie, I can handle Charlie on my own. He's _my_ son remember?" Santa insisted. "Maybe after a few days you can come down and visit your mom and Neil, but right now I really need you up here helping Curtis and Bernard with this Toy Santa thing. Can you just do that for me please?" Jess wanted to argue with her dad but it was the first thing he'd asked her for since they'd moved to the pole.

"What exactly do we tell the elves?" She sighed against her better judgment. Scott thought for a minute before replying.

"Keep the elves at a distance and say that I've changed my look. It'll work!" To Bernard it sounded more like Santa was trying to convince himself that this half-thought out plan would work.

"I'm not going to lie to the elves." The number one elf insisted. He didn't care what his wife or Santa said. This idea would _never_ work.

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><p>"I hope you know we're in way over our heads with this." Bernard hissed at his wife. Santa had left for the Miller's house thirty minutes ago and it was now time for the head elf, his wife and Curtis to introduce Toy Santa. The three of them stood together at the top of the main staircase waiting for the rest of the elves to gather as they'd been instructed.<p>

"It'll be fine." Jess whispered back. Most of the elves were staring at them from the bottoms of the staircase, wondering what the emergency meeting could be about. "Aside from the three of us, how many of the elves _really_ spend a lot of time with Dad?"

"Well there's Judy, Abby, Quintin, the elves at the stables..." Curtis began to ramble off the list of several elves who came in close contact with Santa on a daily basis.

"Curtis!" Jessica and Bernard snapped at him in frustration. He immediately closed his mouth knowing that this was not the time to further irritate one of the North Pole's biggest power couples.

"Is everyone here?" Jessie asked the number two elf impatiently.

"Just about." Curtis confirmed.

"Alright, let's do this." Bernard heaved a dramatic sigh before addressing the crowd of his underlings. "Hello? Hi! Yes, Uh, Curtis, Jess and I have an announcement to make. Jessie..." He turned the attention over to his wife uncomfortably.

"Right, ah...um...We just want..." Jess wished she'd had a more thought out speech prepared, but then again this whole plan hadn't been very thought out. "We, Bernard, Curtis and I, we just wanted to talk to you about my dad...about Santa's new look. As you're all aware this time of year is very, very stressful." There was a pause in her speech as several elves erupted with either groans or slight laughter. The pause gave the young elf time to stitch together a better excuse. "Santa is a Legendary figure of course, but in his heart, he's also human and, er, when humans get stressed they tend to change their appearance."

"That's right!" Curtis jumped in, coming to her rescue. "Santa has made a few changes to his appearance because he has been really stressed out this year, we're confident he will go back to his usual look after the busy season."

"I myself think he looks absolutely terrific!" Bernard added on awkwardly. "Better and fresher somehow than he has in years! There's a more...supple veneer to his skin and an added luster to the thickness of his hair. You could almost say there's a...a toylike quality to him. Most importantly, he's very happy with his new look and I would caution you all not to point or stare or use the word 'plastic' okay? Thank you, that's all. Back to work please!" With Bernard's final words, the elves returned to their workstations throughout the pole.

"See that wasn't so hard was it?" Curtis smiled as the others dispersed.

"I have to check on my painters." Was all Jessie said.

"And I have paperwork to file." Was all Bernard added. The husband and wife walked off in separated directions obviously still at odds with each other. Curtis' smile transformed into a frown as he was left alone at the top of the stairs. He'd thought for sure Jessica and Bernard would have worked their issues out by now. He'd also assumed it that Santa was trying to force them together by putting them in charge of Toy Santa. "I've got to do something to fix this..." he mumbled before wandering into the kitchen to devise a plan.


End file.
